Hard times?

The recent increase in the minimum wage, and the adoption by some of the living wage, has seen increases in wages across the board in less well-paid sectors of the Scottish economy.

This factor, in turn, has had the unforeseen consequence of reducing recruitment of dental nurses. In recent years and all too often, the highly responsible role of dental nurse has been perceived as unattractive by potential recruits, partly because other, less demanding job opportunities have caught up in salary terms.

Add in the increase in training demands and the time constraints on training and qualification, the result is a drastic shortage in suitable candidates for the role of dental nurse. Nurses are an integral part of every dentist's practice, and ought to have their value recognised. In austere times like these, employers need to come up with creative solutions if they want to recruit and retain the best people for their practice. A candidate without accreditation from the General Dental Council (GDC) can be a trainee dental nurse for up to two years before acquiring formal qualification, which must be completed within one year. While most complete the training within 3 to 6 months, this time constraint can have an impact on nurses studying part time, and/or with family or carer responsibilities.