Effects of Clinical Practice Stressors on Professional Identity of Dental Hygiene Students: Moderating Role of Resilience

Abstract

  This study involved a web-based survey of 896 dental hygiene students, yielding 639 valid responses, with all students having clinical practice experience. The objective was to investigate the effect of clinical practice stressors on professional identity and moderating role of resilience. Each stressor demonstrated a negative correlation with professional identity-related factors. Hierarchical multiple regression and simple slope analyses revealed that acquired resilience tended to buffer the adverse effects of “record keeping and time constraints” on “confidence in choosing a health profession.” It also moderated the negative effects of “difficulty in adapting to instructors and the practice environment” and “record keeping and time constraints” on “orientation toward contributing to society.” In addition, dispositional resilience tended to buffer the relationship between “awareness of lack of knowledge and skills” and “orientation toward contributing to society.” These findings suggest that students with high-level resilience are more likely to maintain professional identity despite encountering multiple stressors in clinical practice, and that educational support incorporating resilience development may facilitate the formation of professional identity.