Dental nurses – more than unsung heroes

With a brief to create a magazine that champions dental nursing as a career rather than ‘just a job’, we have featured in its pages many dental nurses who have embraced this principle with gusto – seeking new avenues, expanding their duties and working in challenging environments.

According to Fiona Ellwood, patron of the Society of British Dental Nurses, and one of our much-valued editorial board members: ‘Those dental nurses with higher-level skills feel better equipped and more valued and, in turn, more motivated to stay in the role.’

Whilst we’ve yet to see a huge transition in the way the profession, the healthcare system – and, indeed, the wider public – view the role, there has been a migration towards a more professional approach to the training and development of dental nurses, including the introduction of the Foundation degree (FdSc), which ultimately can only mean a more secure and respected position in the team.