Oral health education in the undergraduate nursing curriculum of Australian and Malaysian institutions

Abstract

Introduction: A high degree of training is necessary to prepare student nurses for their roles as oral healthcare partners that can promote a holistic approach to health in the community. This study aims to determine the extent of oral health education in Australian and Malaysian nursing institutions, as well as investigate educators' perceptions of education and practice in this area of care. Methodology: An audio-recorded, semi-structured qualitative phone interview was conducted with the heads of 42 nursing schools across Australia (n = 35) and Malaysia (n = 7) during the 2015 academic year. Qualitative data were analysed via thematic analysis. Quantitative data, wherever appropriate, wer..