Dental Service Organization affiliation: Understanding key aspects of State Dental Practice Act compliance.

Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) are an increasingly visible and available practice option for new dental graduates. While guidance has been published to help dental students make informed decisions when considering a DSO affiliation, they have not focused on the complexities of assessing compliance with controlling state laws. Accordingly, this Perspectives article provides a concise summary of the common components of state regulatory provisions across the United States to support an understanding of the corporate practice of dentistry and compliance considerations. The guiding principles to consider include ownership or proprietorship of and control over a dental practice; control over dental offices, equipment, and materials; employment of dental personnel; and control over clinical judgment. This article should be helpful to students who are considering a DSO affiliation and educators who prepare them to enter dental practice.

Essential qualifications for nursing students.

Course objectives do not always support grading or evaluation decisions when a student demonstrates poor judgment or disrespectful interactions with others in clinical settings, classrooms, and program-related activities. Instructor attempts to help a student identify, reflect upon, and correct an inappropriate behavior are often awkward, avoided altogether, or lack an articulated set of standards to which both student and instructor can refer. Yet qualifications such as sound judgment and sensitive communication skills are essential in the provision of quality nursing care. The Essential Qualifications documents at the University of Washington School of Nursing offer a structure within which students, instructors, and administrators can identify, assess, and document action plans for student success. This article describes the legal basis and process for the formulation and use of an educational tool for assessing and guiding, outside the realm of course objectives, essential qualifications in applicants and students of nursing programs.