Meet Jemma, 25, and find out about life as a dental nurse assistant. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
Jemma:I'm Jemma, I'm 25 years old and I'm a dental nurse assistant. The first job that I wanted to do was retail but I didn't get anywhere with getting a job in any shops so I started to find something different. I went to the jobcentre to look for work. My advisor was showing me a place called Mencap and he referred me to the team there to look for work. My support worker, Kirstine, at Mencap has being amazing at getting me this job.
Kirstine:Hello. My name's Kirstine. The Royal Society of Mencap operates throughout the UK and supports people with learning disabilities. Jemma finds it difficult to process information. She needs information broken down into small amounts where she can be shown what to do so she can repeat it and then learn the task herself.
Jemma:My first job of the day is I go and see if there's any instruments to be delivered to the surgeries for the dentists so that they've got plenty when they take patients in. When I got the job, I was offered one day a week and then they were so impressed they made it up to two days a week.
Kirstine:At work, some people need reasonable adjustments. Reasonable adjustments is simplifying a task to suit that person's learning needs for them to be able to carry out the task.
So in Jemma's case, she had to file medical files in the dental practice. This was so daunting. So, what we did is simply white stickers with the alphabet very much broken down on each row of patient files which improved her confidence, but it also started Jemma to realise that she could use her own initiative.
Jemma:I never thought I'd be working at dental practice. When I came to the job and I felt included in the world of work. It's the best job I've ever had and it's a really nice feeling to see the patients walk out with a smile.
I have found the perfect job which has given me purpose.
- When Jemma finished school, she hoped to get a job in the retail sector
- Jemma has a learning disability which effects her communication skills
- She attended a number of interviews for retail jobs but she was unsuccessful and she wasn't sure what to do next
- Thankfully, Jemma was supported by various specialist employment services, including Mencap, who helped her find her job as a dental nurse assistant
- Before she started, the team made sure the workplace was set up to make things as easy as possible for Jemma. For example, they set up a new colour coding system for the different doors in the practice so she could find her way around.
Find the right job for you
Jemma never thought she would be working in a dental practice. The support she's had from Mencap's employment service is available for young people with a learning disability looking for support.
Mencap believes being employed is about more than earning money. It’s about:
- feeling valued
- being independent
- getting fulfilment.
Three options
Mencap’s employment services support people with a learning disability to develop the skills and confidence needed to get a job. They offer three programmes which help to achieve this goal: traineeships, apprenticeships, and supported internships.
This information is a guide (source: Mencap employment services)
A similar role to Jemma's is a dental nurse. To become a dental nurse, you have to complete a course in dental nursing, but you can sometimes work in an assistant or trainee role without having completed a course.
What to expect if you want to be a dental nurse
- Dental nurse average salary: NHS bands [3-5]. Read more about NHS bands. Salaries will differ in private healthcare.
- Dental nurse typical working hours: 37 to 40 per week, which could include evenings and weekends.
What qualifications do you need to be a dental nurse?
You could get into this role via an apprenticeship, a college course (such as a T-level in Health – England-only), or by studying towards a dental nursing qualification while working at a dental practice as a trainee.
Sources: National Careers Service, NHS Health Careers, GOV.UK.
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website and the NHS Health Careers website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed and the GOV.UK website for more on T-levels.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
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