CASE STUDY FOR DENTAL HEALTHCARE PERSONNEL
Samantha is a Dental Assistant employed in a clinic in a large college town in Atlanta, Georgia. A 22 y/o student was brought in with a facial injury which included several broken teeth. As per the clinic policy, the patient was given a COVID-19 rapid test which returned a positive result. All recommended Samantha refused to take care of the patient citing that she had small children and her elderly parents at home. She was especially resistant because although the clinic followed most of the CDC guidelines to prevent exposure to the staff and other patients, the facility did not have a N95 masks .Her employer suggested that she wore two masks if she felt unsafe. She suggested that another assistant in the practice take care of the patient because that employee did not have children and lived alone. Her boss, the Dentist, insisted that Samantha assist with the patient as she was more experienced. She continued to refuse and was terminated.
In a 1-2 paragraph essay respond to the 2 questions following the Case Study. Base your answers on the CDC recommended guidelines for Dental Healthcare Workers found in the Background Data above.
Question #1
What are the CDC recommended guidelines for Dental Healthcare Personnel aimed at preventing the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) to healthcare workers?
Question # 2
What are your thoughts on Samantha’s decision to refuse to take care of this patient? Do you agree with the decision to terminate her?
