“Remember, I’m a nurse. You’re going to have to say a lot to gross me out.”
-Unknown
Truthfully, nurses have one of the most challenging jobs. Not only do they have to endure long shifts and remember to care for dozens of patients simultaneously, but they also see a lot of difficult things. So, next time you complain about having a long day at the office or your annoying coworkers, remember, nurses always have it worse!
However, even though nurses have a tough job, that doesn't mean that it's not a worthwhile career. Nurses enjoy varied work tasks that keep their daily lives interesting. Also, nurses have insanely high employability rates, an above-average pay and access to benefits such as paid vacation.
So, if you're thinking of becoming a nurse, you'll not only enjoy an interesting career but you'll be an admired figure in society.
Also, since nursing is defined as the practice of providing patient care for the sick and infirm, there are many types of nurses across the healthcare system. Therefore, in today's article, we'll analyse how individuals in the UK can consider becoming dental health nurses.
What Skills Are Needed to Become a Dental Nurse?
As is similar to most degrees, there are certain skills that are necessary to study dental nursing. Such as? Take a look at the following abilities that dental nursing students should do their utmost to acquire:
- Working well under pressure,
- Staying organised,
- Effectively managing time,
- Being good communicators with their patients and the dentists,
- Working well with others,
- Multitasking,
- A passion to continue learning.
Not only will the previously mentioned skills help you while studying dental nursing but also while working as one.
What are the Job Responsibilities of a Dental Nurse?
While every dental clinic is different, the following are some of the most typical job responsibilities of a dental nurse:
- Sterilise dental equipment,
- Take notes when the dentist works with a patient,
- Check-in and greet patients at reception,
- Prepare materials for the dentist,
- Provide help during surgery,
- Rinse patients' mouths during procedures,
- Give equipment to the dentist during procedures.
As you probably gleaned from the previously mentioned list, dental nurses are practically assistants to dentists. Dental hygienists typically find work in private or public dental clinics in the UK's major cities.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Working as a Dental Health Nurse?
Even if people are working at their dream job, it's not perfect 100% of the time. We're living in an imperfect world and there are pros and cons to every employment position; even the ones that pay their employees lots of money. So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of working as a dental nurse? Let's take a look!
The Pros of Becoming a Dental Nurse
Since we enjoy bringing out the positive aspects before the negative, the following are three benefits of working as a dental assistant:
- Employability: since everyone has teeth and we all need to clean and maintain them regularly, dental hygienists are in constant demand. Recent graduates of dental nursing can find internships or permanent positions quite quickly.
- Potential to Have Flexible Schedule: depending on the dental clinic, dental nurses can choose whether they want to work part-time or full-time. A flexible schedule is something that most dental assistants claim that they love about their job.
- Short Training Course: compared to becoming a dentist or other jobs in the medical field, the training to become a dental hygienist is relatively short and easy to complete. Within a few years, you can start your career and begin learning on-the-job skills while earning an income.
The Cons of Becoming a Dental Technician
Though it's not as fun to mention, we have to discuss the following cons of becoming a dental nurse so that our readers are well-informed:
- Not Much Independence: unlike dentists, dental hygienists do not have the power to arrange their day and decide upon which patients to see. Dental nurses work under to direction of the dentist and are submissive to their demands.
- Not a Challenging Career: if you wish to take part in a career where you are constantly learning new things, being a dental nurse isn't for you. While it might be exciting in the beginning, as time goes on, you will have completed most procedures and things become repetitive.
- Never Get Rich: while some careers provide employees with many opportunities for career advancement, dental nurses typically work the same type of job for their entire career and there aren't many raises. So, if you don't mind making a minimum income, this job is for you; however, if you wanted to make the big bucks, think of another sector.
If you still haven't decided whether or not you wish to become a dental technician, you should seriously weigh the pros and cons mentioned above to help you come to an educated decision.
Here is where you can find qualified and talented nursing tutors in the United-Kingdom
How Long Does It Take to Become a Dental Health Nurse?
In the UK, there are various degree programs offered to dental health nurses that are affordable and that will provide graduates with the tools they need to become employable.
But, what are the required steps to becoming a working and certified dental nurse? Let's take a look at the following list:
- Get a Degree: there are dental nursing or dental assistant training courses at universities and vocational learning centres in the UK that last between one and three years. Recently, some unis in Scotland and England have been offering students a BSc in Dental Nursing certification that is certified by the General Dental Council. We recommend consulting with academic advisors and looking at various degree programs before making your final decision.
- Become an Intern: receiving on-the-job experience is the next essential step to becoming a dental health nurse and that can be done by completing an internship. Being an intern at a dental clinic allows you to get the practical training you need without formal qualifications. Many interns end up being hired by dentists where they completed their apprenticeship.
- Become Government Certified: in the UK, to work as a dental nurse, you'll need to be certified by a government recognised and approved entity known as the General Dental Council. Nonetheless, it's important to successfully complete steps 1 and 2 (that are mentioned above) before a GDC accreditation is given to you. Some of the potential nursing certificates offered by the GDC include the Degree in Dental Nursing, Certificate of Higher Education in Dental Nursing and the Level 3 Diploma in Dental Nursing.
So, from beginning to end, dental nurses should expect to spend at least five years getting all the training they need to work independently without surveillance in dental clinics. However, it's worth mentioning that there are shorter courses and training methods that certify you as a dental assistant with less serious work tasks.
Also, before students can even apply for dental nursing programs, it's necessary to have gotten excellent marks in four to five GCSE topics and A-Level subjects too.
What Are Some Tips for Successfully Working as a Dental Nurse?
Every career or job has good examples and bad examples of employees. From the beginning, freshly qualified graduates should enter the job force with the determination to be as successful in their domain as they possibly can.
Therefore, to help new dental assistants quickly find work and enjoy a prosperous career, the following are top dental nurse tips to improve your work from the beginning:
- Hone Your People Skills: though your patient's mouth will be open 70% of the time, it's up to dental nurses to be friendly, conversational, and attentive. Also, dental assistants usually greet and chat with their patients before meeting with the dentist.
- Pay Attention to Detail: if you are continuously careless and work without paying any attention to the needs of the patient, you will experience setbacks in your career and complaints from both the patients and dentists. So, to ensure client safety and satisfaction, try to focus on all the details and do the nitty-gritty work. While you may spend more time completing your tasks by being detail-oriented, your patients will leave with a pearly white smile!
- Stay Organised: from managing the dentist's appointments to keeping the consultation room tidy, you will benefit greatly by being and staying organised. There are multiple patients in a day that closely follow one another; therefore, organisational skills are supremely important to avoid any significant delays that could upset those in the waiting room.
In conclusion, by following all the advice we've mentioned in today's article, you'll be on the right track to not only becoming a dental nurse but also successfully working as one in the United Kingdom.
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
