Facilitating group learning: What strategy works best?

Developing the capacity of the dental workforce for the future requires all members of the dental team to actively engage in self-assessment, reflection on practice and targeted continuous professional training and education in order to build skill mix, competence and to expand duties (General Dental Council (GDC), 2005).

As with all dental professionals, it is not sufficient for dental nurses to gain their registrable qualification. That is simply the starting point for ongoing commitment and engagement for the extent of our working life-time. As with other professional occupations, building a high level of current and contemporary technical understanding is part of the bargain dental nursing has made with the society in order to become recognised as a ‘profession’ (Freidson, 2001).