Student Dental Nurse Mentor

Thanks for all of your replies, they are all very helpful. I will have a look in to doing the witness training programme. I have to go with her on her first day anyway so I am sure they will give me some pointers too!

Hi I am also a trainee DN due to start my course in May, and basically the qualified nurse just ensures that all the things I do are correct. The college come out to the practice every few weeks and observe my practical work to put a tick on the course outcome side of things, I think you would just be the support in practice, like mine.

Hi
If it's the NEBDN national diploma she is working towards then she will need to complete a Record of experience (ROE). This comprises of personal experience reflection sheets (PERS). Which are reflective accounts of all aspects of a dental nurse role. As her mentor you will need to sign off her PERS. But you will need to complete the NEBDN Witness training programme first. This is free and is done online. Once you've completed this you will get a certificate (counts as CPD for you!). And you will be added to the approved witness register. Only people on this register can sign PERS.

Hope that helps

Hi there

We have several mentors in my work, every trainee is assigned to one. In the early days before classes start they show them around the department and show them instruments what they are for and how to setup for certain treatments, they go over hand hygiene and show them how to do this and surgical scrubs.
Throughout their training they:

Go over mixing (show one, do one, teach one)
Setting up
Help with difficulties in class
Towards exam month we are now helping with their studying going over areas they are finding hard, I do radiography and health and safety another nurse does anatomy , we make questions for them to do , and ask questions as they are setting up to see what they know why they do certain things.

I hope this helps, you will be fine sit and chat to your trainee and ask what he\she is studying harder with you could work on that first and help them make a study plan with you so you both know what is being studied when.

Hi Fiona

Really you would be looking to be supportive and just ensuring she gets everything required to complete her portfolio etc and she knows her instruments, is confident in talking as they have this oral exam. Also double check on the nebdn site as there is something new to do with a witness training program so you may need to do his if you are her mentor. Hope this helps

Hi there,

I am currently a mentor and so hopefully can offer you some indication of what this involves.

Firstly, it is not a task to be taken lightly as it is very important to offer good structured feedback and be able to offer support guidance along side that of the dentists he/she will be working with.

You will need to take an online mentoring assessment which you need to pass in order to become a mentor through the local training centre to you.

As you have been qualified for 5 years you may already be familiar with the new style of questions for examination (MSQ) and the record of experience (which came in 2008 onwards).

The ROE is now done wholly online and the trainee will need to be supervised and supported through various tasks, taking her through preparation of the surgery, decontamination, disinfection of impressions, assistance with placing local anaesthetic, assisting with restorative procedures, XLA's and dentures among others.

The trainee will need time to complete the record of experience for these and will need you to go online and read through and offer advice, support and sign them off as competent when it is decided that they are.

Reflection, support and advice is the name of the game - I am sure you will really enjoy it : )

I hope this helped?

Good luck

Hi

We have a trainee dental nurse working with us at the moment and she is due to start her course to work towards the national in May. Our boss has asked me to be her mentor which I am very happy about. However I am not 100% sure what this involves! I just wondered if any of you have any advise on what I should be doing?!! I have been qualified myself for nearly 5 years.