Are you happily engaged?

‘There seems to be two kinds of dental nurses, a happy dental nurse and an unhappy one. A happy dental nurse is a good dental nurse’. I remember those introductory words well when I took my first dental nursing job and they have always stuck with me in my different roles within the dental profession over the years. The dentist who said them to me is now retired, after a long and happy career. After a few years of retirement, he mentioned in conversation that he does still miss his job and working life, although would perhaps not be tempted to go as far as coming out of retirement! I thought to myself then – and still do now – how wonderful to be so fulfilled within one's career and to really enjoy what one does and actually enjoy going to work every day. In this article, I would like to share some of my observations and conclusions of how only a ‘happy dental nurse’ can truly reach a patient and motivate them and in doing so probably really enjoy their jobs.