I'm a qualified dental nurse... what now?

Gemma Forsythe speaks to Haley O'Neill about the problems in dental nursing

Gemma Forsythe discusses the ‘endless opportunities’ for career development as a dental nurse, and how to make the right decision for you.

Here we are in 2024 already! A new year for many people means new goals. And for those who have recently qualified as a dental nurse, this could mean undertaking an additional course.

A question I get a lot on my Instagram page is ‘what course is best to do once qualified?’. There are a few things to consider when deciding on what course to do after you qualify – this is what I have decided to base the first Nursing Matters article of the year on.

What are you interested in?

First of all, I would recommend thinking about what you’re interested in. What within dentistry are you passionate about? What do you really want to learn more about? For me, that was oral health. And once I had qualified in 2020, I started the BDA certificate in oral health education.

It is also helpful to think about what needs your workplace has, whether that be a hospital setting, general practice etc. During your appraisal could be a great time to discuss with your management/employer about what course you could complete to add value to the practice and improve your job satisfaction too.

Endless opportunities

The dental nurse career has changed over the years and is ever-expanding. For nurses who want to be more hands-on with patients and increase their scope of practice, the opportunities are endless.

From impression taking to fluoride application and placing rubber dam, there are different ways in which you can add to your patient’s in-chair experience. Taking a course in dental radiography, implant nursing, orthodontic nursing or dental sedation are also valuable options.

Of course, you are not limited to expanding your skills in the surgery. It could be learning reception duties, progressing into the role of a treatment coordinator, or even practice management.

There are duties that you would not even think of that you could take on to make your surgery more efficient. For example, if your dentist does a lot of smile makeovers or composite bonding, perhaps a dental photography course may be very useful.

The important questions

A few important questions to ask yourself are:

Who will fund the course? Will it be self-funded or is your practice paying for it for you? (If your practice is paying for you, be wary of clauses in your contract meaning if you leave within a certain period of time you may have to repay the course fee)
Will you need patients to complete for a case study?
What support will you receive while completing the course?
Will you need time out of surgery to work on it?
Will you get to use it?

There is no point in paying money and spending time working on a course if you are not going to be supported in utilising it.

Know your worth

If you qualify and nothing that you’re interested in jumps out at you straight away, that’s okay too! Sometimes it can take time until you realise what you really like or until an extended duties opportunity comes up within your practice.

It may also be that your dentist is completing a further qualification, eg clear aligners, and they want you to undertake a course such intraoral scanning to streamline the workflow in your surgery. Opportunities like this are great, and it is wonderful when clinicians take an interest in the career development of their dental nurses.

Another point I would like to make is that when you gain a new qualification, make sure you know how your pay will be affected. With the more duties you undertake and qualifications/experience you gain, it is important that your pay reflects this. Make sure you are receiving a pay rise accordingly and know your worth!

Catch up with previous Nursing Matters columns:

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