October 22, 2024
How to Become a Dental Nurse Assessor
If you’re looking to advance your career in dental care, becoming a dental nurse assessor could be the perfect next step. It’s not just about ticking boxes – it’s about shaping the future of dental care and playing a hands-on role in supporting aspiring dental nurses. With the right qualifications and a keen eye on the latest industry developments, you’ll be able to make a real impact while taking your career to new heights.
The Role of a Dental Nurse Assessor
The General Dental Council (GDC) expect dental nurses to be capable of providing patients with expert care to protect patient safety and to maintain public confidence in the dental profession. As a dental nurse assessor, you will carry out assessments on trainee dental nurses to make certain they are capable of upholding these standards and are suitable to work as a dental nurse. You should be a skilled dental care professional or dentist to make sure the assessments are accurate and fair.
An assessor will check candidates’ skills, knowledge, and understanding using various assessment methods, including monitoring and observing learners at their workplace or at other dental practices. This aspect of the role allows you to interact with different dental professionals and observe how learners’ practices vary across different settings.
How to Become a Dental Nurse Assessor
Make Sure You Have the Right Experience
To become a dental nurse assessor, you need experience in dental nursing and a relevant qualification. You’ll be required to submit your certificates and an up-to-date CV to verify your qualifications and work history. If you’re unsure, consult the awarding bodies NEBDN or City and Guilds.
Get a Level 3 Assessor Qualification
You need to be a qualified assessor to examine oral health students, so you will need to have already or be working towards one of these qualifications:
- Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA)
- Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence in the Work Environment
- Level 3 Award in Assessing Vocationally Related Achievement
These Level 3 qualifications replace A1 assessor courses, which are no longer available for assessors and tutors in the UK.
Understand the Assessment Process
In most cases, you will work with an approved training provider or college that offers dental nursing training courses or apprenticeships. There are various routes to becoming a qualified dental nurse, but the most popular qualifications are the City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in Dental Nursing and the NEBDN National Diploma in Dental Nursing. You should research the specifics of the course structure, learning objectives and assessment criteria so you’re aware of what will be expected of you in terms of assessment details.
Keep Your Professional Registration
As dentistry is a regulated industry, you need to keep your registration status current with the GDC. After all, the candidates you assess will be going on to register themselves!
If you are no longer working in a clinical setting or are doing reduced frontline work, it is important that you check the GDC’s requirements so you can renew on an annual basis.
Stay Up to Date With Dental Care
Whilst experience working as a dental nurse or other oral health professional is essential, it’s also necessary to have an eye on the future of dental nursing. You will need to take part in continuous professional development (CPD) to maintain your registration status with the GDC and to stay up to date with current vocational skills and knowledge. Some of the latest information includes new regulations, changes in dental nursing education and training, and industry standards. CPD has a variety of forms, this might be attending courses, reading books and articles, or attending accredited industry events.
Complete Your Dental Nurse Assessor Qualification with Carlton Training
Become a qualified dental nurse assessor with a qualified assessor course from Carlton Training. Our team can help you gain your qualification with our assessor courses like the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA) and other course package deals.
Book your assessor course online today or contact us and speak to our knowledgeable team for more advice on the best assessor qualification for you.
Author: Josiane El Dazari – teacher, assessor and educator at Carlton Training
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