Many dental nurses undertake further study in the hope that it will lead to an increase in pay, only to feel blindsided when the monetary gain is not as high as they’d hoped. This can cause some nurses to be put off from the idea of upskilling or gaining another qualification. But are there reasons to gain qualifications other than the potential of increased pay?
Self- Development
Our dental nurse journey doesn’t end just because we have gained our qualification. If anything, the moment you are a registered dental nurse is the moment your journey truly begins! This career is full of opportunities for self-development; for improving your knowledge and skills for no reason other than your own interest and satisfaction. Looking into further study is the perfect way to do just that. It allows us to exercise our brains more and keeps us active and involved in our role while expanding our experience, which in turn increases future prospects and helps us to go further in our careers. Ultimately, you should be growing for yourself, not just your employer or for increased pay.
Career Goals
Not only should you be upskilling because it’s something you want to do and are genuinely interested in; you should also do it if it’s part of your career goals. Setting goals can help you keep invested in your role, and achieving them can help to maintain your job satisfaction. Your personal development plan (PDP) should reflect these goals and where you want to be in the coming years, and it can then help you to determine if that course you want to take or the qualification you want to gain are going to be beneficial to you in the long term.
Practice Practicality
Too often, we hear of dental nurses becoming qualified in a new skill, only to find out that it is not something their place of work will utilise. It’s vital that, prior to undertaking further study, you have an honest and open discussion with your employer about whether or not your skill could be utilised in practice. If it can be, then there may be room to discuss a pay rise, but if not, then you need to consider whether the study and simply having the skill will be enough for you. Remember, maintaining skills that you want to use and find interesting can really help your workplace happiness which, in turn, aids better mental health. Consider also discussing this with your manager/employer to see if they’d be happy to utilise your new skill and help you grow.
Summary
Ultimately, we all have our own reasons for wanting to upskill and grow our expertise in our career, but it’s important that we don’t base it on the rate of pay we expect to – but may not – get. If you do get better pay as a result, then that is always a bonus, but be sure to discuss this with your employer in advance so you don’t get caught out on an inaccurate expectation. In the end, upskilling and further study exist to help us become the best we can be, to help us be invested and interested in what we do, and to aid our growth and development as dental nurses. If you do it for the right reasons, then you’ll soon find your career is one you are proud of.
By Natasha Garthwaite BSc, RDN
