Attendance/Duration
Full time, one yearOverview
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.
Entry requirements
- A real interest in working with people.
- Three relevant National 5s at grade C or above, or their equivalent.
If you don't have formal qualifications but have life experience, we'll also consider you for a place, so please call us for a chat.
You may be required to attend an interview during which you will complete a short written activity.
You should be fit to attend a short placement in a dental surgery towards the end of the course.
You should be aware that you may be asked to join the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme on all care courses at level 6 or above and be occupationally fit for practice.
Course content
This course provides nationally recognised group award qualifications that help prepare you for working in healthcare, social care or dental settings.
You will:
- Develop practical skills in our onsite
- Develop knowledge and understanding in mutually supportive small groups
- Have access to extensive online resources to enhance your learning.
Build your confidence with:
- SCQF level 5 topics before moving onto SCQF level 6, and achieve an NC and National Progression Awards in Oral Health Care.
Here's just some of what you'll be doing:
- Fascinating activities and experiments to learn how to keep your smile healthy for life.
- Discover how pathogens spread and learn practical skills to stop them in their tracks. Suit up with PPE, practice decontaminating a dental surgery, and master the washer disinfector and autoclave to keep instruments sparkling clean.
- Develop communication skills to support patients in making healthy choices. Because every patient deserves to be valued you will focus on person-centred approaches like "What Matters to Me" and "My name is".
- Understand the names and numbers a dentist calls out when you are in their chair. Work with others on a fun project that raises awareness about oral health cancer.
Careers and Further Study
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.
This course may also be your stepping stone to care work employment or one of our level 6; Health and Social Care courses such as Health and Social Care: Enhanced Knowledge and Skills or Health and Social Care: Work Ready, or the HNC Healthcare Practice course.
Skills
You will develop the caring skills and qualities essential for working in health care. Some examples of skills include:
- Communications skills.
- Employability skills such as timekeeping and being able to use your own initiative.
- Digital skills which are becoming essential to work and home life.
- Leadership and team working skills.