Would You like to Have a Mentor?
Career development and advancement in dental hygiene can be difficult to obtain alone. Among the abundance
of dental hygienists practicing throughout the United States, many still do not a have a support system.
The most successful and versatile women (and men) in dental hygiene have at least one mentor.
We all start our professional careers as students. This is your opportunity to tap into the experience of the
many Nebraska Dental Hygienists who are members of the Nebraska Dental Hygienists’ Association.
This is a great opportunity to get advice from those who have been there, done that, and learned a thing or two.
Before beginning the search for a mentor, you need to know your goals. You may be seeking new graduate
support and interview advice, or transitioning to education, dental sales, dental insurance, or just looking to
reignite your clinical passion. Whatever the case may be, be able to articulate your expectations and career
development needs. Then, once you have established a relationship with a mentor, be open to their professional
advice, be available for introductions and networking, and actively keep in touch with them.
It is important to remember that a person’s needs cannot generally be met by one person and that multiple mentors can be even more beneficial. Mentor-mentee relationships gradually evolve into a friendship based on mutual respect, appreciation, and recognition.
Many hygienists find their first mentors in instructors or classmates during dental hygiene school. A mentor is someone you will have a natural inclination toward, and someone you get along with easily. The most successful mentors have intense confidence in their mentee and promote their strengths and potential
In order to participate:
Submit your application
1 year commitment
Attend an virtual meeting in January to meet your mentor.
Meet the registration deadline of January 26, 2024.
Would You like to Be a Mentor?
Dental hygienists may mentor in many ways. We know first-hand the educational, physical and mental
requirements of our job, and are the best resource for those considering a dental hygiene career. We may also
be mentors to co-workers in professional conduct, standards of patient care, and teamwork. A mentor’s role is
to provide professional and sometimes personal (if requested) guidance. Honest with feedback, a mentor
helps to set realistic goals and helps facilitate career advancement opportunities for their mentee. A mentor
can help to encourage independence, self-confidence, job satisfaction, upward mobility, and decision making
and problem-solving skills.
Be someone they can call or text in their first year of practice. They may have questions like:
How should I interview?
What do I wear?
Professionalism questions.
How do I network with other hygienists?
What are some dental hygiene tricks of the trade?
What do I do in situations I’m unsure of? (clinical practice/ethics)
Mentorship is an invaluable resource for support in clinical practice, career development, and finding opportunities to grow your career. It is also a rewarding way for dental hygienists to guide a promising student or colleague searching for direction on a path you’ve already traveled.
It has been said that, “As the mentoring relationship grows from a directive interaction toward collaboration, transmission of the professional legacy to posterity occurs by empowerment of the protégé.”
Consider spreading your passion for dental hygiene through mentorship!
Questions?
If you have questions about becoming a mentee or would like to be a mentor, please contact Whitney Crist at whitneym.crist@gmail.com
