If I told you I had always wanted to be a dental nurse, I’d be lying. I remember finishing my training course, and I was not going to register with the GDC – I was so adamant that I didn’t want to be in this job.

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be an artist and a writer. I clung to my natural abilities and completed a degree in illustration in Hull. I had taken the trainee nursing job after graduating. I was working at McDonald’s and wanted to do something a bit more ‘grown up’, but in my head, it was just a stepping-stone. My thought process was: ‘I’ll do it for a bit until something better comes along!’ Fast-forward three years, and here I am, on a mission of professional development, with a genuine enjoyment of dental nursing. So, what changed?

After the training period, a little over two years, and a few job switches, I finally felt a little more independent. I realised that although there were certain things I was required to, I could be in charge of my own training (PDP), and I was starting to develop a nursing style that merged a professional attitude with a friendly personality. I started to receive compliments from dentists and colleagues, and I started to notice how my personality positively affected patients.

I eventually learnt that if you are creative and determined, there are more opportunities available than you think. At the beginning, I didn’t let dental nursing mean anything to me; I didn’t give it much of a chance, because I thought there was no interesting routes of progression. Now I am writing a blog and having my writing featured on various dental training sites. I combined my everyday work with one of my hobbies, and magic was born.

I have the aim of moving to Barcelona in a year’s time to work in a dental clinic. Dental nursing is not regulated in Spain, meaning I don’t need to re-do a course in that country. There is a whole lot of logistics involved in this plan, but I love adventure and would love to challenge myself, performing my role in a different country and language.

The start of my career journey was rocky for me; it took a while to get settled, and I am certainly still learning, but to me this makes the whole thing sweeter. I had a personal fight to get to a point where I could enjoy my job, and I will always remember the times I struggled at the beginning compared to how I feel now! This is what drives me to keep finding new ways to enjoy and progress in my work, and I feel lucky to have found this profession.

P.S. – Dental nurses rule!

By Rosie Connell