The biggest changes in my career

Karen Jeffery is a 46-year-old dental nurse who will have been nursing for 30 years in September this year. She started working at Southcot Dental Surgery in Aylesford in Kent in November 1995 and is now its infection control lead. She says: ‘I started as a full-time dental nurse, then got married and had two children so came back one day a week initially, gradually building up to four days in October 2015. A lot has dramatically changed since then – and for the better, I feel. The biggest change is that dental nurses are now registered with the GDC, which I know comes with a lot of rules, regulations and Continuing Professional Development, but it is worth it. Also, designated decontamination room and decontamination procedures are a change.’