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Calling all dental nurses!
28th Aug 2009
Have just been having a look at our survey into dental nurse salaries – we've had nearly 1,000 responses so far, but we need lots more. BADN set up this survey to gather information so we could put it to the GDC as evidence that the £96 registration fee is too high for dental nurses. Sent out emails to everyone who has attended a BADN Conference or study day, also put link to survey on ‘Latest News page of our website www.badn.org.uk and on Facebook.
Have received lots of emails and Facebook messages from dental nurses, particularly those in practice, telling me that they wont be completing the survey, because they only work part time, or because they earn so little – this is the whole point of the survey. It is particularly those dental nurses whose information we need to make the GDC understand that while they might not think £96 is a huge amount, to many dental nurses, its more than a week's salary.
We'd like all dental nurses – but especially those working part time, those on minimum wage or near to it, those who are single parents or the primary earner in their household – to fill in the survey so we get a complete picture. Click on
http://guest.cvent.com/v.aspx?1A,Q3,27cccdc8-2c4f-499d-8b77-ee5c10dceabd – all info is confidential and presented anonymously in chart form.
Already doing a survey to find out what people think of the CPD in the British Dental Nurses' Journal; and there will be a new one next week, sponsored by the British Dental Trade Association (BDTA), to find out how many dental nurses have responsibility for, or influence in, purchasing decisions in practice.
The BDTA will use results of that one to let trade companies know a) they should take more notice of dental nurses and b) their reps should be much nicer to dental nurses at trade shows. Dental nurses who complete one of our surveys are automatically sent an email inviting they to participate in future ones – and you can forward an invitation to five colleagues.
Speaking of CPD, was just in London to discuss some very exciting developments in this area – details still to be finalised, but watch this space. BADN members will hopefully have several new opportunities for CPD later this year.
Now in final stages of preparation for the National Dental Nursing Conference – this is the most stressful bit of the organisation of Conference, crossing all the t's and dotting all the i's. Made slightly easier this year because registration is online – delegates can even choose what they want to eat at the dinner online. Registration will close briefly on 31 August, the end of the discounted conference registration fee period. If there are any places left, it will open again on 2 September, but anyone registering that late will have to pay the full fee. If you haven't booked yet, click on
http://guest.cvent.com/i.aspx?1Q,M3,3a51a330-7081-45b4-a46f-e71f4dcc7a0 before Monday!
Looking forward to the long weekend – am just back from second trip to London in two weeks, and off to Dumfries next Wednesday. It's a shame you cant get train miles like you can air miles! Did hope that now we have an admin assistant to help with stuff like the conference organisation, would be able to spend weekends completely unconnected with work – but the new survey has to be up and running by next week, so that'll take up part of the weekend. Will still be opening a bottle of wine and settling down to watch NCIS tomorrow night though – why are there no men like Gibbs around in real life? Does anyone else remember when David McCallum (aka Ducky) was every girl's heartthrob? He's a bit past his sell-by date now – but the same could be said about lots of us!
Author
Pam Swain
Pam Swain is chief executive of the British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN) who describes herself as ‘chief cook and bottle washer' for the association and admits she can be 'stroppy'.
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