Health and Social Care

This course is an ideal preparation for starting your career as a dental nurse. You may also benefit from this course if you are planning a career in the NHS and are looking to boost your experience of clinical settings and health care before applying for posts or more advanced level courses.

This is a nationally recognised qualification. The course develops your knowledge and understanding for working successfully in a dental or care setting.

Here’s just some of what you’ll be doing:

• Decontamination
• First Aid
• Health and safety
• Dental anatomy
• Dental patient care
• The clinical assessment of patients’ dental health
• The safe handling of instruments, materials and equipment used in dental practice
• Professional practice

You will develop an awareness of your skills, strengths and attributes. You will build upon your skills for life, learning and work.

For entry to this course, you will require three National 5 qualifications. Please write a detailed personal statement on the online application form, giving your reasons for applying for this course. You may be contacted to clarify points of information from your application.

Assessments will be ongoing and will include both practical and knowledge-based assessments under closed- and open-book assessment conditions.

You will study a number of discrete units of study between August and January, and another set of units from January to June. Good attendance is a requirement for success. Opportunities to develop friendships and a support network will be high as you will remain with the same class group for the duration of your course. Most of your course will be delivered by a dental professional and skills work will take place in the dental skills lab.

This qualification provides an excellent foundation for securing your employment as a trainee dental nurse. It reassures potential employers of your readiness to continue your training and the subsequent achievement of 'on the job' vocational qualifications that will enable you to register with the General Dental Council as a professional dental nurse.