If you have always wanted to be in healthcare, why not consider a career as a dental nurse? A dental nurse is an important role and involves supporting the dentist in all of the aspects of caring for a patient. You will work alongside the whole dental team and your role is a varied one that will differ from day to day. It could be that you go from helping the main dentist and clinical dental technician to therapists and hygienists – you will get a vast amount of experience. Whether you are looking for nurse jobs NHS, private hospital staffing or dental nurse jobs in your local dental clinics, there are many roles out there.
What is a dental nurse jobs role?
A dental nurse is essentially an assistant to a dentist and will help with all the aspects of the care of patients. The role is greatly varied and you are an integral part to the team. Some of your typical day to day duties could typically include:
- Preparing the appropriate instruments for the patient
- Cleaning and preparing equipment and the space for infection control
- Sterilizing instruments and getting the space ready for surgery
- Taking care of the patient
- Writing down patient notes during their appointment
- Preparing the materials needed to make fillings
Why being a dental nurse is such a great idea
Your role is varied
Being a dental nurse you don’t have to worry about being stuck behind a computer, mindlessly typing away and doing the exact same thing every day. While you know your main duties, you never know exactly what the day will throw at you and this is exciting. It keeps you on your toes and means that the role is always interesting.
It is a solid career path
Being a dental nurse NHS is something that will always be needed in society. It is a great way to get into a solid career and to get a good set of skills. You will be able to apply these to your everyday life and any roles you may undertake in the future. To be a dental nurse you don’t need any real solid qualifications. It is a good way to get some experience in the medical field while earning at the same time. You can do training as well as work meaning that you can both enhance your experience as well as gaining new qualifications.
It is a good career to fit around your lifestyle
If you don’t like the idea of shift work, then a dental nurse is great for you. The standard hours are 9am-5pm (although you might be required to work some weekends or evenings depending on where you are working.) A lot of people find this much better than shift work as you know you will always be working the same hours each week. If you can’t work full time due to commitments such as childcare, there are also part-time positions which could fit well around this.
You can learn on the job
As a dental nurse, you don’t need to have completed a complex degree. You can become qualified through ways such as an apprenticeship or just start working as a trainee. Both options enable you to work towards your General Dental Council certificate (GDC) which is what you are required to have if you want to be a dental nurse UK. Some examples of qualifications that could help you to become a dental nurse include:
- Foundation Degree in Dental Nursing
- Level 3 Diploma in Dental Nursing
- Certificate of Higher Education in Dental Nursing
- National Diploma in Dental Nursing
These are just a few reasons that being a dental nurse is a great role. If you are looking for dental nurse jobs NHS or in private hospital staffing, we have a range of NHS nursing jobs in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. Find out more about our dental nurse jobs here.