PURPOSE This study aimed to evaluate the level of professional ethics awareness and medical ethics competency in order to assess the potential need for ethics items to be included on the Korean Dental Hygienist Licensing Examination. METHODS In total, 358 clinical dental hygienists and dental hygiene students completed a structured questionnaire to evaluate their level of ethical awareness and medical ethics competency. The sub-factors of medical ethics were classified into relationships with patients, medical and social relations, and individual specialized fields. RESULTS Only 32.1% of participants indicated that they had taken a course on professional ethics in the university curriculum, but 95.2% of respondents considered professional ethics to be important. The overall score for medical ethics competency was average (3.37 out of 5). The score for relationships with patients was 3.75 points, followed by medical and social relations (3.19 points) and individual specialized fields (3.16 points). The level of professional ethics awareness was higher among participants who had taken a course on professional ethics than among those who had not done so or who did not remember whether they had done so. CONCLUSION Dental hygienists were aware of the importance of professional ethics, but their medical ethics competency was moderate. Therefore, medical ethics should be treated as a required subject in the university curriculum, and medical ethics competency evaluations should be strengthened by adding ethics items to the Korean Dental Hygienist Licensing Examination.

中文翻译：

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口腔卫生师和口腔卫生专业学生的职业道德意识和医德能力水平：韩国口腔卫生师执业资格考试增设道德项目的必要性

目的 本研究旨在评估职业道德意识和医学道德能力水平，以评估是否需要将道德项目纳入韩国牙科卫生师执照考试。方法 共有 358 名临床口腔卫生师和口腔卫生学生完成了结构化问卷，以评估他们的道德意识和医学道德能力水平。医德的子因素分为与患者的关系、医疗和社会关系以及个体专业领域。结果 只有 32.1% 的参与者表示他们在大学课程中学习过职业道德课程，但 95.2% 的受访者认为职业道德很重要。医学伦理能力的总分是平均的（3.37 分，满分 5 分）。与患者的关系得分为 3.75 分，其次是医疗和社会关系（3.19 分）和个人专业领域（3.16 分）。参加过职业道德课程的参加者的职业道德意识水平高于未参加过或不记得是否参加过的参加者。结论口腔卫生师意识到职业道德的重要性，但其医德能力一般。因此，应将医德作为大学课程的必修科目，并通过在韩国牙科保健师执业资格考试中增加伦理项目来加强医德能力评估。19 分）和个人专业领域（3.16 分）。参加过职业道德课程的参加者的职业道德意识水平高于未参加过或不记得是否参加过的参加者。结论口腔卫生师意识到职业道德的重要性，但其医德能力一般。因此，应将医德作为大学课程的必修科目，并通过在韩国牙科保健师执业资格考试中增加伦理项目来加强医德能力评估。19 分）和个人专业领域（3.16 分）。参加过职业道德课程的参加者的职业道德意识水平高于未参加过或不记得是否参加过的参加者。结论口腔卫生师意识到职业道德的重要性，但其医德能力一般。因此，应将医德作为大学课程的必修科目，并通过在韩国牙科保健师执业资格考试中增加伦理项目来加强医德能力评估。参加过职业道德课程的参加者的职业道德意识水平高于未参加过或不记得是否参加过的参加者。结论口腔卫生师意识到职业道德的重要性，但其医德能力一般。因此，应将医德作为大学课程的必修科目，并通过在韩国牙科保健师执业资格考试中增加伦理项目来加强医德能力评估。参加过职业道德课程的参加者的职业道德意识水平高于未参加过或不记得是否参加过的参加者。结论口腔卫生师意识到职业道德的重要性，但其医德能力一般。因此，应将医德作为大学课程的必修科目，并通过在韩国牙科保健师执业资格考试中增加伦理项目来加强医德能力评估。