Kirsty began her career in dental nursing at 17 years old, after not knowing what career path she wanted to take. She chose to interview for a trainee dental nurse position, not really knowing what to expect or if she would enjoy it. After being offered the position, she was pleased to discover that she really enjoyed it and found it interesting and challenging.
Since joining Bupa Dental Care, Kirsty has had the opportunity to progress from being a dental nurse with no additional qualifications, to lead dental nurse and IPC Lead within her practice. We asked Kirsty to tell us a bit about what she does on a day-to-day basis, she said:
“I am currently lead dental nurse and IPC Lead at Coulby Newham practice. My role is to support our clinicians and patients, maintain a safe environment and safe equipment, carry out infection control measures, prepare materials and items required, maintain patient records, process x ray images, reprocess instruments and many other things.
“As lead dental nurse and IPC Lead, I am involved with all aspects of IPC, including training, keeping the clinical team updated, reviewing practice and COSHH risk assessments, legionella safety, equipment servicing and maintenance, liaising with technicians, new staff inductions and training, product ordering and supporting our practice manager in her role.”
Alongside this, she has also completed an impression taking course, dental nurse sedation qualification and infection lead management course with Aura Infection Control to help with her role as IPC lead. She is now planning to take the Radiography qualification and RPS training so that she can have a more active role with radiography and the safety aspects related to it.
We asked Kirsty why she wanted to work at Bupa Dental Care, she said:
“Bupa Dental Care offers opportunities for post qualification courses, for example Radiography for Dental Nurses, Dental Nurse Sedation, Fluoride Application, Oral Health Education, as well as other career opportunities within the business. Bupa Dental Care also supports by covering registration fees, indemnity insurance, and employed staff have access to Bupa benefits.
“There is a large support network available to the dental team, and I have found that Bupa Dental Care encourages its people to progress and be the best they can be.”
We asked Kirsty what she likes about her job and what makes her smile at Bupa Dental Care, she said:
“I like to be around people, I enjoy caring for them, and helping when people are anxious about dental treatment. I like to be busy, and I enjoy learning, which is a good thing as there’s always something that I want or need to read up on or something to update.
“It’s very rewarding to see our patients smile when they’ve completed their treatment. Whether someone is extremely anxious and has needed extra support, or if a cosmetic treatment has been completed and the patient sees the result for the first time. Children visiting the practice can also be lots of fun; the smiles and thanks you get are brilliant, a real boost, this lets you know that what you do is worthwhile and appreciated.
“I also love being part of a team and enjoy seeing other team members progress with their careers; it’s great to see their achievements and share their successes.”
Kirsty is really passionate about the team she works alongside and has seen a lot of progression in her time here. She told us a bit more about it:
“Team Coulby is brilliant! We have a great mix of people who all bring something different to the table. Some of the team have been with the practice a lot longer than I have, we also have two apprentice dental nurses working toward their qualification. We have supported quite a few Tees-side University dental nurse students through their training and qualification, who have then progressed to dental therapy. One of our previous dental nurses is now working with us as a qualified dental therapist, another has just qualified as dental therapist and a third is working towards becoming a hygienist!
“We all have our strengths and weaknesses and can rely on each other for support where needed. We share our good times and bad times, and we always have a good laugh together.”
Finally, we asked Kirsty what she would say to someone considering a career with Bupa Dental Care, she said:
“There are lots of opportunities to move forward with your career within Bupa Dental Care, whether you are a trainee or already qualified. There is a lot of information available, as well as support from practice managers and the dental team. There is a wide network at your fingertips, you simply need to reach out.
“I love my team, I have gained extra qualifications within my role, and I still have other things I want to achieve. Being a dental nurse is busy and challenging, and I love it!”
If Kirsty’s career journey has inspired you, visit our website to see our latest vacancies and become a part of our team: https://jobs.bupadentalcare.co.uk
