Dental Hygienist-Recruitment/Relocation Incentive

Department of Veterans Affairs

The Primary Purpose of the Position is: the Purpose of the position is to serve as a Dental Hygienist and provide direct patient care under the general supervision of a Dentist assigned the Dental Service and performs other clinical functions independently of direct supervision. The Organizational Location of the Position is: This position is located in the Dental Service at one of the satellite campuses, Fort Worth Texas.

• Duties include but are not limited to: Customer Service/Veteran-Centered Care - Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers, and the public. - Assists customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery. - Delivers care that reflects the Veteran's and the family's personal goals, personal preferences, and freedom of choice. - Demonstrates non-judgmental understanding of the Veteran's and family's knowledge, values, beliefs, and cultural backgrounds. - Demonstrates collaborative orientation to working with patients and families. Patient Care - Sets up operatory for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover. - Complies with patient identification, time-out, and reusable medical equipment processes. - Handles instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently. - Takes and records vital signs, reviews medical history. - Charts oral conditions. - Annotates chart findings, treatments plans, and treatment provided in Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS). - Assesses patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias, medications, and comorbidities. - Assesses the impact of patient's medical and dental condition on maintaining oral health. - Recognizes age-related changes in individual patients, adapts patient environment, and maximizes patient's physical comfort. - Provides routine oral prophylactic care. - Provides gross debridement, scaling and root planning procedures. - Provides subgingival curettage. - Cleans dental prostheses, fixed and removable. - Applies appropriate topical fluoride solutions or varnishes. - Makes impressions for fluoride carrier trays. - Manages dental recall system, referring patients to the doctor for additional care when needed. - Administers topical anesthetic agents. - Administers local anesthesia (check to ensure hygienist's state license allows and certification is current). - Applies desensitizing agents. - Performs routine maintenance of equipment components such as suction traps, water lines, etc. - Accomplishes all procedures within standard infection-control protocols. Patient Education. - Provides patient education appropriate to the Veteran's needs and oral condition. - Explains hygiene procedures, indications, complications and expected outcomes to individual patient and caregiver. Dental Imaging - Performs dental imaging which consists of taking digital and/or conventional radiographs of in-patients and outpatients according to prescription, including periapical, bitewing, occlusal, panoramic, cephalometric, and 3D imaging. - Takes diagnostic quality images that are accurately oriented and exposed. - Utilizes dental-imaging safety techniques with minimal retakes. Infection control and Equipment Sterilization - Demonstrates proper infection-control procedures in setting up and cleaning up operatory and in exposing images. - Properly prepares instruments for sterilization by SPS standards. - Prepares instruments in a manner that does not delay clinical care. Clerical Functions - Assists patients in scheduling appointments. - Enters RTC orders in CPRS with information about future appointments. - Assists in filling gaps in the schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments. Information Management - Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information. - Follows computer security regulations. Safety - Observes and complies with all established safety practices. - Modifies care as appropriate for patient's age and abilities (patient transfer and position). - Modifies care based on patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias, medications, and comorbidities. - Provides accurate and understandable instructions to patients. - Participates in patient identification and time out per TJC requirements. - Monitors patient condition during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress. - Verifies that Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are updated. - Reports any work-related injuries, illnesses, and diseases immediately to the supervisor. - Ensures that working conditions and work practices within the worksite are such that the possibilities of on-the-job injuries are minimized. Employee Education - Completes mandatory annual training sessions. - Maintains all continuing education requirements for professional licensure, certifications, etc. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement: 54051-F, 54051-F, 54053-F, 54054-F, 54055-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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