Where will 2019 take you?

When I am training apprentice dental nurses, the first task I ask them to do is research the GDC and its Scope of Practice. They are given a list of duties and asked to answer ‘true or false’ to whether dental nurses can do them. So far, nobody has ever got the answers correct on their first try. I have often wondered whether qualified dental nurses would be able to answer this set of questions, and if they are aware of the range of extended duties they could train to carry out. So, what could we train to do? The aim of this article is to give you an overview of the opportunities available to further your career. This could be for future employment options, to improve your current practice, or for more job satisfaction for yourself. If you are looking for a short course, there are options such as impression taking, clinical photography, and suture removal. These courses are generally taught in one day, with an expectation to build a portfolio of evidence, often referred to as a competency log. Longer courses are the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses (NEBDN) qualifications. In addition to these, you could also look into teaching CPD courses to your practice team. I am qualified to teach infection control, fire safety, and medical emergency courses, which meet the GDC's CPD requirements.