Dental nurse training

The Quinn Centre, part of the SCA Group, specialises in health and social care training for local authorities, health bodies and private organisations.

The centre is now offering a ‘one stop shop’ service for dental practices, allowing their dental nurses to meet all the training requirements of the General Dental Council.

These include an NVQ Level 3 in dental nursing, offered on a rolling programme so people can join at any time, as well as a dental nurse induction programme. 

In addition, the Quinn Centre can also help dental practices to fulfil the requirements for dental nurses’ continuing professional development (CPD). By attending one day a year on a Saturday the nurses get up-to-date with the legal, ethical and practical developments relating to their work, such as the latest infection control procedures.

A new annual dental training plan will also be posted on the Quinn Centre website.

‘Dental practices sometimes struggle to find the time or the training places to meet all these professional requirements,’ said Quinn Centre Manager Jan Gingell. ‘By offering CPD training on a Saturday we are making it easier for dental nurses to attend. The induction workshop runs for two days and we plan to run it on a monthly basis, so dental surgeries can outsource their induction training for new staff rather than having to do it themselves. The NVQ 3 is now a requirement for dental nurses and includes subjects such as infection control, health and safety, patient care and dental procedures. The courses are open to all practising dental nurses, whether they are from private practices or NHS ones, and we welcome enquiries.’