Want a career you can really get your teeth into? Search healthcare vacancies on s1jobs and you’ll find opportunities for dental nurses.
Dental nurses handle the instruments and equipment, prepare the materials used for crowns and fillings, update records and calm the nerves of anxious patients.
It’s a full-on role. Every 10 minutes somebody fresh comes through the door and takes their seat in the big chair. Everything has to be in place for their treatment, with their files on the computer screen ready to be checked off.
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The dentist will be relying on you for fast reactions and accuracy and in teams where the professional partnership is at its best, you’ll get to the stage when you can second-guess what you’ll be asked to do.
It’s the sort of job that suits someone who can think for themself but also work as part of a team, who can liaise with other staff in the surgery and keep a clinic ticking like clockwork.
So, if you aren’t already scrubbed up and ready for action, how do you get your foot in the surgery door and your hands on that funny water suction thingie?
First step, get taken on as a trainee: that’s the key to starting your career. From the moment you start, your employer has a responsibility to enroll you on a recognised programme that will lead to registration with the General Dental Council.
To complete that registration you will have to complete an SVQ Level 3 in Dental Nursing and a Professional Development Award or successfully complete a National Diploma in Dental Nursing.
These are the credentials you need to prove you know your stuff. But your education won’t stop when you have your certificate hung on the wall.
Dental techniques are continually being updated and you’ll need to be up to speed with all of them. You’ll also need to develop exceptional people skills so you can handle everyone from the tiniest toddler upwards.
In fact, managing patients is a big part of the job. Some are nervous, others arrive mob-handed, with lots of little children in tow. You’ll have regulars, new patients and emergencies to be squeezed in amidst the daily routine.
Once you’ve some experience, s1jobs is a great place to find your next position and, if you’ve not started your career, it’s the place to be inspired by what’s on offer.
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