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Duck – and no cover
20th Apr 2010
It's going to be a busy month – off to London this week for the Dental Awards. I've been asked to present one of the awards, so I'm practising walking up steps in a long frock and high heels.... would hate to embarrass myself in front of le tout dentistry by falling behind over breakfast on my way up to the stage.
Then Katie, our events admin, and I are joining President Sue Bruckel at the Dental Technology Show at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on 7 and 8 May – this is now open to dental nurses as well, and entry is free! You can even get a free Early Bird coffee and bacon roll by sending an SAE to Katie at the BADN office. BADN are also giving a free seminar on what you need to know about CPD on Saturday at noon – just come along. For more information on DTS, visit www.dts2010.co.uk.
Then I'm off to Belfast with our northern regional co-ordinator, Nicola Docherty, and Sharon Brennan of WRB, our indemnity providers, to talk to dental nurses there – always supposing there are flights by then.
The following weekend, we're all in Liverpool for the BDA Conference – again, BADN have a stand and we are holding another seminar – this time it's Dental Nurse Registration – Is It Working?.
Entry to the exhibition is free and there are special rates for DCPs attending conference seminars – visit www.bda.org/events/annual-conference for more details.
At some point during all this, will be meeting with the new GDC chairman and chief executive, Alisons Lockyer and White respectively. One of the main topics on the agenda will be the dental nurse registration fee and the need to bring it down to an affordable level. In the meantime, BADN are providing members with a free money box to save up for GDC registration and BADN membership fees – we have calculated that £3.50 a week will cover registration and membership (which includes indemnity cover and verifiable CPD) and are offering either a piggy bank or a duck to BADN members who come to our stand at DTS or the BDA with their current membership cards, or to dental nurses who join at either of those events.
The fact that the current GDC registration fee is far too high for dental nurses was highlighted by our recent salary survey. This showed that the majority of respondents earned less than £20,000 – even more disturbing when you realise that the 55% of respondents were working more than 35 hours a week and 60% had been dental nursing for more than 10 years! Out of this, they pay their own GDC registration fees, BADN membership fees and CPD costs.
What's even more worrying, is that 18% admitted to working without any indemnity cover at all – which not only contravenes GDC regulations but means that if they were successfully sued by a patient, they could lose everything – and then still have to fork out 30 grand or so for legal fees when explaining to the GDC why they were working without indemnity cover!
The results of the survey are slightly skewed, in that the majority of respondents were slightly older and more senior – if those dental nurses working part time, or in really low-paid positions had responded, the average salary would have been even lower...... hopefully, when we repeat the survey later this year, we can persuade more dental nurses to participate – you dont have to be a BADN member.
The full survey report is available on the Latest News page of our website www.badn.org.uk, as is the report on our other survey, which shows that dental nurses have a huge influence, and quite often final authority, on purchasing decisions in their practices and clinics. Dental trade please note!
Am just finalising the programme for the National Dental Nursing Conference – so far we have radiography, professionalism, entrepreneurship, podiatry, indemnity/law and ethics, oral health, hypnosis – am still waiting confirmation on forensics, fluoride and cross infection, as well as a few others.
It's at the Blackpool Hilton on 26 and 27 November – yes, I know, Blackpool in November, cold and windy – but its a full programme with lots of little extras (no tram ride this year, the lights will be over by then), so wrap up warm and come along. Details will be on Conference page of our website in May.
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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