Dental Care Professionals

Dental Nurses

By law all dental nurses must be registered with the GDC by 1st August 2008 to be able to work in the UK. The GDC have introduced compulsory registration for patient protection, so that patients can have confidence that all members of the team are properly trained and working to the same high standards set by them.

The only way to apply for registration is to hold GDC approved qualifications. For more details on specific qualifications go to the gdc website.

 

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements

Dental Nurses must complete, and keep records of, at least 150 hours of CPD over five years. A minimum of 50 of these hours must be verifiable CPD.

Verifiable CPD

To count as verifiable CPD, an activity must have:

  1. Concise educational aims and objectives;
  2. Clear anticipated outcomes;
  3. Quality controls (i.e. you should be given the opportunity to give feedback); and
  4. You must obtain and keep documentary proof (e.g. a certificate) of your attendance/participation from an appropriate third party (e.g. the activity provider/organiser).

Steps to planning your personal development

  • Step 1 - Make sure you know your compulsory CPD start-date 
  • Step 2 - Make sure you understand the hours requirement
  • Step 3 - Plan what CPD activities will meet the requirement
  • Step 4 - Record your CPD
  • Step 5 - Fill in an annual statement of your CPD hours each year 

Checklist

  • Check your start date for the compulsory CPD scheme.
  • Plan how you will meet the minimum hours of CPD requirement.
  • Decide on a recording format for your CPD activity. You can use the Personal Development Plan, PDP Course Attendance Details and PDP Research table on the right of the page to help you monitor your CPD.
  • Consider keeping separate records for general CPD and verifiable CPD.
  • Ask yourself 'does this activity contribute towards my continuing professional development?'
  • For verifiable CPD, check that the verifiable CPD criteria have been met and ensure that you have documentary proof of participation, for example a certificate.
  • Review your activity regularly to ensure you will meet the minimum requirements.
  • Do not send any recording forms or documentary proof to the GDC unless they ask you to.
Information from GDC website

If you would like our dental nurse tutors to visit your Practice to introduce and discuss personal development planning and lifelong learning, please contact the deanery to arrange a suitable appointment.