Advice needed!

LEAVE. You're worth so much more and unfortunately you won't realise this until you have found a nice practice with normal grateful staff who value you for your hard work and commitment to the job.

Sorry you are in this situation. In the past I've worked with 3 bosses like yours. 2 of them were lucky enough for me to give my notice, the 3rd I walked out on. Some may say that walking out is unprofessional, but so is treating a member of staff like dirt. It is not a healthy environment for you to be in and you deserve respect just like any other REGISTERED DENTAL PROFESSIONAL. If you have approached your boss with no positive outcome, then it may be in your best interest to leave and find somewhere that values your hard work. We work in the patients best interest, but you need to look after yourself and you mental and physical health in order to do that. You cannot thrive around toxic people. I learned the hard way. Know your worth. With all the experience and knowledge you have achieved in such a short time, anyone would be lucky to have you working for them and probably with a more competitive pay.
Good luck with your decision and I hope this has helped a little.
x

I worked at a practice where I stayed 7 years. Started on reception then trained as a dental nurse ( big deal for me since I was 50!). Since I was a conscientious worker, even when I was training and had college work etc, I was doing the same as you, medical emergency kit, stock ordering, training other trainees! I was always requested by the dentists so never got a quieter day. Always went in early in my own time to ensure all set up correctly and was stocked up etc, and often ended up setting up extra surgeries for late staff!
So unfortunately you are not alone.....
HOWEVER..... this experience has been used to my advantage, because a year on from qualifying and having been made lead nurse.... I resigned and moved to a practice as assistant manager, I still nurse and cover reception when needed, but they appreciate my skills and they thank me, yes I said thank me!!!!!
I also get paid a fair wage.
I hadn't realised the affect all this was having on me till I left and suddenly felt like a huge weight had been taken off my shoulders. I also realised how valuable I was, to the right practice.
Write yourself a CV, detailing everything you do and are capable of.... get it in circulation, even ask some other practices if you can go and shadow a nurse there for a morning to see what other practices are like, I did this and got offered 2 jobs.... it also gives you a feel for what other practices are like.
Everyone deserves some appreciation and thanks, and there are practices out there, however busy, that have these skills on how to treat their staff and make them feel valued.
Only you can decide how long you want to carry on working in this environment, but you sound like you have a lot of very transferable skills.
Good Luck , whatever you decide to do.

Hi I’m just after some advice please. I am a qualified dental nurse - I am also lead nurse and implant nurse. I was put in a position where lots of staff left, and so I had to take on all the responsibilities despite only having 3 years total experience and 1 year qualified - I came straight out of school and into nursing so I have just reached my twenties. I do stock, implants, all the quality assurance (protein test, foil ablation, water temp etc etc) x-ray machine cleaning plus being full time in surgery and training the new staff, and also I work on reception when needed. I don’t have enough time in the week to do everything I need to do, but it is still expected of me. I’ve tried explaining to the bosses that I don’t have enough time but they just say ‘you’re the head nurse so you do the most work’. Fine, but I never asked to be! I work through lunch often to get it done, stay behind by easily an hour to close everything down properly, ensure everything is turned off. I work exceptionally hard but it is still not enough. If anything is forgotten I am shouted at, literally shouted at! I try to explain that I do my absolute best and work my hardest but they just can’t accept it. There is never any thanks for all the extras I do, only criticism that more isn’t done. I worry about it all the time - I can’t even enjoy my holidays because I’m worried when I go back what I will be in trouble for ‘not doing’. I come home in tears most nights. The dentist I work with is the boss - we don’t have a manager so I can’t to go anyone else. They are very unreasonable and harsh and nobody else wants to work with them because of it - but that is a separate issue. I just need some advice - do I stay, or do I go. I have been here several years and many staff have come and gone because of it. I think we all work so hard in this industry for the best of the patients, it’s a shame we aren’t respected for it.