Danielle joined our team in 2021 as a receptionist. She was offered the opportunity to train as a dental nurse and now, she shares her experience as a valued member of the Vermilion team.
I first joined Vermilion in September 2021 as a Receptionist for the practice in Edinburgh. I had previously worked in different administrative positions in medical settings and I was looking for a new challenge.
Prior to joining, I’d had discussions with Vermilion’s Deputy Practice Manager, Pauline who had advised that there was an opportunity to complete an apprenticeship programme in dental nursing in future, should I wish to. The programme would allow me to work full time as a dental nurse to and receive the necessary training to fully qualify.
I had never previously considered working in dentistry but the opportunity sounded too good to be true as I had always wanted to go back to school to get a qualification in health care but I didn’t feel I could balance working full-time and going back to University. I was excited at the idea of starting a new job at a specialist dental practice with a view to progress within the company.
I worked as part of the reception team learning the ins and outs of Vermilion for several months and, in January 2022, I enrolled on to the Mentor Training Centre Programme to begin my apprenticeship. The apprenticeship programme involved self-directed study modules, workbook assignments, hands on learning in the dental surgery, and online classes. I found that the structure of the programme really suited me as I could take things that I had learned in the modules and apply them to my practical training on a daily basis.
I started my nursing training working in prosthodontics (the art of replacing missing teeth) with Dr Steve Siovas and really quickly fell in love with the job. Having a background as a lecturer in Greece, Dr Siovas never missed an opportunity to explain to me what was going on, the challenges we were facing and how we might overcome them to give the best functional and aesthetically pleasing outcome to our patients. I truly learned so much during my time working in prosthodontics and for that I will be forever grateful.
The best part of my job is getting to know my patients, and supporting them through the highs and lows of their treatment journey to getting their smile back. Each day is a new challenge and no two days look the same. My responsibilities include supporting my patients, organising lab work, ordering components, setting up the dental surgery, decontaminating instruments in the LDU and much more.
Working in a specialist practice, I feel that I have had the opportunity to learn so much about dentistry in a short period of time and I know that this is just the beginning! I look forward to studying additional qualifications to enhance my training in the near future.
I have been supported in my training by the staff at Mentor, my fellow dental nurses, clinicians, my managers and the admin team at Vermilion. I am thrilled to say that I passed my dental nursing exam in November 2022 and will soon start working with one of our Periodontists, Dr Jackie Davidson.
If you are looking for a new challenge in your career, seek out learning opportunities and try new things! I would highly recommend dental nursing as a career to anyone who enjoys working in a dynamic, rewarding and progressive environment. I have really enjoyed my experience of training to become a registered dental nurse and look forward to many more years as a part of the team at Vermilion.
– Danielle, Qualified Dental Nurse
Are you a Qualified Dental Nurse seeking a new challenge? Visit our Vacancies Page today to find out more and apply to join an award-winning team.
