CAPSTONE PROJECT PROPOSAL

Bethany Montoya
Pueblo Community College

Bachelor of Applied Science, Dental Hygiene

DEH 4089

CAPSTONE PROJECT PROPOSAL

Student: Bethany Montoya, RDH Instructor: Lisa Stiner, RDH, MS

Telephone: xxx-xxx-xxxx Telephone: xxx-xxx-xxxx
Email: xxxxxxxx@student.cccs.edu Email: xxxxxxxx@pueblocc.edu

Preceptor: Online audience Mentor: Jackie Sanders. RDH, MBA

Accessible: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Position: Chief Editor, RDH Magazine
YouTube, circulated with Endeavor Business Telephone: xxx-xxx-xxxx
Media publications Email: xxxxxxxx@endeavorb2b.com

Course Offering: YouTube video presentation

Course Offering Date: April 14, 2023

Project Proposition:

The purpose of this project is to educate dental professionals and students about the many
benefits of writing for publication. There are over 750,000 oral healthcare professionals in the
United States, yet only a small number have experienced the privilege of being published
(Atchison, 2022). There are many potential reasons why a clinician may not pursue this career-
advancing achievement, but it is my belief that the primary cause is a general lack of awareness
among professionals. I propose an online presentation that will educate viewers on the value of
being published, commonly associated myths and stigmas, tips and recommendations, and what
can be expected throughout the submission process. After viewing the presentation, professionals
will gain the knowledge and confidence necessary to pursue writing for publication, which will
not only benefit them personally—but the entire dental profession.

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Project Evidence and Motivation:

• Ness and others (2004) communicated that “writing for publication is considered
essential for the development of the profession and individual career advancement” (p.
1).
• “Publication is a fact of life and vital to growth of science and career progression.
Administrators and universities increasingly look at the publications to one’s credit
during recruitment of faculty/researchers” (Rawat & Meena, 2014, para. 8).
• “The industry is calling out for professionals to have their say. Remember that the dental
profession is a giant team all working towards the same goal, which is improving the oral
health of the nation and providing excellent standards of dentistry to our patients” (Berry,
2019, para. 3).
• “In an analysis of 600 randomly selected clinical trials listed on clinicaltrials.gov for
which results were posted on the database, only 50% were found published in a journal.
This means that findings of half the research are not communicated to the scientific
world, which is a great loss to the society and is unfair to the patients participating in
these studies” (Sharma, 2018, para 2).
• In a study assessing the psychological benefits of writing on healthcare workers during
the COVID-19 pandemic, participants who used expressive writing intervention showed
higher levels of improvement in overall psychological health, including PTSD and
depression (Procaccia et al., 2021).

Project Goal:

Viewers will develop an understanding of the importance of published writing and will become
equipped with the knowledge and resources necessary to pursue their own professional writing
experience if they so choose.

Project Learning Objectives:

After watching a comprehensive video presentation, viewers will be able to accomplish the
following in the post-presentation evaluation:

• Recall 2 benefits of becoming published as a dental professional

• List 5 common personal and occupational barriers to being published
• Identify 3 common types of dental publications
• Recognize 3 steps a professional can take to prepare for the writing process
• Name the 3 main components of a writer’s concept map

Project Learning Outcomes:

Participating in this online presentation will allow professionals to:

• Research and identify publications they wish to submit an article to

• Attain recognition as a published author within the industry
• Advance the oral healthcare profession by contributing relevant, meaningful written work

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 Project Details

Environment:

This project will be formatted as an online presentation published for on-demand viewing on
YouTube. Promotional social media posts will be made on my brand social media account,
@HumanRDH, as well as my personal account. I will also obtain permission to share my
presentation in 3 Facebook groups with a large online audience: Dental Hygienist Burnout,
Dental Hygiene Network, and Trapped in an OP. Additionally, this presentation will be
circulated in Through the Loupes, a daily digital newsletter by DentistryIQ, to which I serve as
Editorial Director. At the creation of this proposal, all followers, members, and subscribers
included on these platforms collectively totaled approximately 120,000 people. It would not be
realistic to expect every person in this target population to watch the video presentation, so a
minimum goal of 500 viewers has been established.

Required Resources and Equipment:

Mobile phone for recording and video editing, ring light, computer with internet connection for
YouTube upload, access to social media accounts, and posting privileges from Facebook group
administrators.

Potential Challenges:

Device and/or software complications, individuals unwilling to view the presentation, group
administrators unwilling to allow posting privileges, and viewers unwilling to complete the post-
presentation evaluation at the completion of the video presentation.

Deliverables:

• PowerPoint video presentation made viewable and shareable on YouTube

• Personal Academic Website (PAW) with assigned content
• Viewer post-presentation evaluation to assess learning and provide feedback

Timeline:

• Preparation: January 2023 through April 2023

• Social media promotion: April 1, 2023 through May 1, 2023
• Publish video presentation on YouTube: April 14, 2023
• Post-presentation evaluation: Available April 14, 2023 through May 1, 2023

Instructor Signature __________________________________ Date ____________

Mentor Signature __________________________________ Date ____________

Student Signature __________________________________ Date ____________

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 References

Atchison, K. (2022). Oral health in America: July 2022 bulletin. National Institute of Dental and

Craniofacial Research. Retrieved from https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/

oralhealthinamerica/section-4-summary

Berry, C. (2019). How to write for a dental journal. Dental Nursing: The Journal for a Career in

Dental Nursing. Retrieved from https://www.dental-nursing.co.uk/features/how-to-write-

for-a-dental-journal

Ness, V., Duffy, K., McCallum, J., & Price, L. (2014). Getting published: Reflections of a

collaborative writing group. Nurse Education Today, 34(1), 1–5.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2013.03.019

Procaccia, R., Segre, G., Tamanza, G., & Manzoni, G. M. (2021). Benefits of expressive writing

on healthcare workers' psychological adjustment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 624176. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.624176

Rawat, S., & Meena, S. (2014). Publish or perish: Where are we heading? Journal of Research in

Medical Sciences: The Official Journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 19(2),

87–89.

Sharma S. (2018). Professional medical writing support: The need of the day. Perspectives in

Clinical Research, 9(3), 111–112. https://doi.org/10.4103/picr.PICR_47_18

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 Pueblo Community College

Dental Hygiene BAS Capstone Learning Contract, Part 1

Student: Bethany Montoya, RDH

Instructor: Lisa Stiner, RDH, MS

Capstone Topic: Writing for Publication as a Dental Professional

Capstone Course Number: DEH 4089

Expected Completion of BAS Program: Spring 2023

Capstone Project Background:

There are hundreds of thousands of dental professionals in the United States, and most of these
individuals have never personally experienced the fulfillment of being professionally published.
Some may believe their academic growth ends after graduating from their respective educational
program. Others may question their ability to confidently write a piece that will make an impact
in their industry. Whatever the reason might be, the truth is that not enough clinicians are
investing in the profession of oral health outside of their daily patient care. The industry needs
more thought leaders who will guide dentistry into the future with new research, education, and
inspiration. It is critical for practitioners to gain an awareness of the many benefits, myths,
practices, and expectations associated with professional writing in the dental industry.

Using My Experience:

As someone who used to believe that I lacked the skills and qualifications needed to be a
published writer, I personally understand other professionals’ feelings of apprehension, fear, and
intimidation surrounding the subject. After taking the risk and writing my first piece in 2021,
however, I grew to understand how endless the opportunities are for an individual with the desire
to be published. Once my first article was printed, I quickly embraced the new intellectual outlet
I had acquired and began writing very consistently, which has allowed me to develop myself
outside of the clinical realm in ways that I had never expected. I have had opportunities to
contribute content that is meaningful to me, while also benefiting my dental colleagues and
peers. My goal is to share these opportunities with as many other dental professionals as I can.

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Personal Expectations:

• Capstone project creation with specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound

(SMART) goals
• Successful execution of module assignments according to instructions and guidelines
• Management of time to include completion of course journal
• Active participation in online class discussions
• Regular communication with the course instructor and capstone mentor
• Professional conduct as a student, classmate, and representative of the PCC BAS
Dental Hygiene Program

Instructor Expectations:

• Open and honest communication

• Constructive feedback
• Response within a reasonable time frame
• Clear instructions

Capstone Goal:

• Viewers will develop an understanding of the importance of published writing and

will become equipped with the knowledge and resources necessary to pursue their
own professional writing experience if they so choose

Student Learning Objectives:

• Develop a video presentation that meets the five established project learning
objectives by the publication deadline of April 14, 2023
• Complete all assignments and project benchmarks according to the course rubrics and
established due dates throughout the semester
• Evaluate the capstone presentation viewers’ understanding of the established project
objectives via the course survey published online April 14-May 1, 2023
• Determine the capstone project’s efficacy in inspiring more professionals to consider
writing by assessing viewer feedback during the course survey April 14-May 1, 2023
• Complete project reflection at the conclusion of the semester

Instructor Signature __________________________________ Date ____________

Student Signature __________________________________ Date ____________

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 Pueblo Community College

Dental Hygiene BAS Capstone Learning Contract, Part 2

Student: Bethany Montoya, RDH

Mentor: Jackie Sanders, RDH, MBA

Capstone Topic: Writing for Publication as a Dental Professional

Course Offering: On-demand video presentation

Online Publication Date: April 14, 2023

Presentation Duration: 30 minutes

I, Bethany Montoya (student), agree to:

• Finalize the capstone project proposal with approval from both the instructor and mentor
• Submit a preliminary capstone project proposal to the instructor by 2/13/23, then submit
the final proposal to the mentor once approval is granted
• Develop a lesson plan and presentation outline utilizing the mentor’s feedback
• Maintain regular communication with the mentor to discuss project developments
• Abide by the capstone project proposal timeline
• Submit the final capstone project to the mentor 1-2 weeks before the online publication
date
• Maintain professionalism, resourcefulness, and positivity throughout the preparation and
presentation process
• Fully utilize the mentor’s experience, knowledge, and support to enhance the quality of
the capstone project
• Provide a high-quality, complete presentation by the established publication date

I, Jackie Sanders (mentor), agree to:

• Provide supervision and insight during the preparation phase of the student’s capstone
project
• Provide educational and/or supplemental materials to support the student when
appropriate
• Offer honest feedback and accountability concerning the project development and
timeline
• Communicate with and respond to the student in a timely manner

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 • Notify the student’s instructor, Lisa Stiner, RDH, MS, immediately regarding problems
or concerns that are beyond the student’s ability to remedy
• Complete evaluations pertaining to the student’s performance

Signatures:

Student ________________________________________ Date _________________

Bethany Montoya, RDH

Mentor _________________________________________ Date _________________

Jackie Sanders, RDH, MBA