dental hygienistWhat type of job are you looking for? I am a registered Dental Hygienist with local anesthesia expanded function. I have 30+ years of experience and really love my profession. I am looking for a position in Cuenca that provides power scalers, top notch sterilization procedures, and wants a hygienist that will provide the best care possible for their patients. I want to permanently relocate to Cuenca and live and work there for several more years. I graduated from Baylor College of Dentistry with a Bachelor of Science and have had many more years of education in Forensic Science, Chinese Medicine and 24 hours of continuing education every two years since graduation from my university. I have a limited ability to speak Spanish but I have learned from traveling in Spanish speaking countries that I can learn the language very quickly. I have current CPR certification. What nationality are you? I am a native born United States citizen. I currently live in Texas but an licensed to practice my profession only in California. What languages do you speak (and at what level)? English proficiently and Spanish only as needed for travel. What country or area are you looking to work in and why? I am specifically looking for employment in Cuenca, Nicaragua. I have been researching the city and the cost of living. I am looking for a colonial city to live in that has an expatriate community and affordable housing. What countries have you worked in? Only in the United States. What countries do you have a visa to work in? None. What field do you currently work in? Dentistry. I am also an excellent teacher. I have been teaching every patient I have seen over the years about oral hygiene and related systemic health. I have excellent motivational skills and communication skills. My patients trust me and come back to me on a continual basis. What fields have you worked in before? Since graduating from Dental School, I have only worked in my chosen profession. What qualifications do you hold? I am a Registered Dental Hygienist with Expanded Functions, meaning I am licensed to perform local anesthesia, gingival curettage. I have been licensed to administer Nitrous Oxide in the past but I am not currently licensed to administer Nitrous Oxide. Which do you consider more valuable? Formal education or skills and why? I think formal education is essential because it establishes confidence in your ability to do what you are trained to do. However, once you leave college, the real work begins as you become a real professional only by working in the real world and monitoring yourself in terms of the response you get from patients, both verbally, non-verbally and clinically. Describe the benefits of working with others Working with other people allows you to grow personally and professionally. You cannot grow in isolation. Interaction with other staff members, employers and patients creates an environment in which you can learn things about yourself and others that you cannot learn in you are alone. Describe the benefits of working alone I enjoy the part of my work that allows me to work independently in an operatory in a one-on-one environment. It allows me to get to know a patient in a way that is impossible in a group setting. Patients sense the privacy of the setting and are more comfortable revealing information that is too personal to share with a group of people. What was your worst working experience? I worked in a periodontal practice for 17 years. These patients were at the end of the line for saving their teeth due to moderate to advanced periodontal disease. One patient's health was compromised by diabetes and I questioned her extensively before I administered local anesthesia to make sure she had eaten, taken her insulin and had never had a reaction to local anesthesia. This patient was the first patient of the day at 8:00 am. She had not eaten or taken her insulin and she had a reaction to the local anesthesia and turned gray and stopped breathing. We administered oxygen with a face mask that would cause her to breathe. Just as the paramedics arrived, blood returned to her body, her heart started beating and she regained consciousness. We called her daughter and she said her Mother was not inclined to eat and monitor her blood sugar and this kind of thing had happened to her before. What is the most important lesson you have learnt throughout your career? I have learned to work with people that are the most difficult patients in the practice and those that are the most cooperative. I have also learned when to speak and when to listen. I have learned not to interrupt patients when they are talking and to hear them out before I comment on what they have told me. This is the greatest reward for me: learning patience and understanding under the most trying circumstances. What unique skills do you have? I have developed extreme patience, communication skills and have a tremendous ability with tactile feedback. What would you consider as your 'dream job'? I would love to be able to do more advanced procedures with my profession than I am currently licensed to perform. I would love to have training for doing one surface fillings, some prescription orders, local anesthesia without direct supervision. Something like a Nurse Practitioner, only a profession in dentistry somewhere between a dental hygienist and a dentist. What are the most interesting aspects of your field? Establishing a protocol in a practice for an extremely organized soft tissue management program and recall system that restores every patient to optimum oral health. What are the least interesting aspects of your field? Tearing down and setting up an operatory many times per day. What would be the ideal work environment for you? I would love to work for a dentist that trust me to do the work I was trained to do and sets me free to make the most of skills, education and drive to do the very best job on every single patient that comes to me for care. How can potential employers contact you? hannah.kempson@yahoo.com USA cell phone number 818-939-1930 | 
