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Earlier this year we opened our annual Special Recognition Awards (SRAs) for individuals who had a major impact on the contribution to education and training of Dental Nurses. 

We would like to take this opportunity to recognise two worthy recipients of NEBDN’s Special Recognition Awards for 2021. These awards are allocated across two categories:

• – Contribution to Dental Nursing Developments 
• – Contribution to Dental Nursing Education and Training   

 

Following a shortlist, we are excited to announce the winners of the 2021 SRAs are:

Award Winner – Contribution to Dental Nursing Developments:

Jacqui Elsden 

Jacqui is the current President of the BADN, she is an advocate for Dental Nurse lifelong learning and has herself achieved extensive further education, including a Master of Science in Advanced and Specialist Healthcare. She has worked closely with awarding organisations as an examiner, assessor or committee member and her current work with Health Education England includes commissioning for Dental Nurse education and training.

Award Winner – Contribution to Dental Nursing Education and Training:

Emma Anastasi 

Emma runs a dental business whilst maintaining her General Dental Council registration and actively supporting dental practices and teams. She works to build confidence in others across the dental community through various forums advocating Dental Nurse career progression.

Both winners will receive their awards at our Spring Conference next March 2022.

NEBDN has been working tirelessly over the last few months to produce a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system named TheHub, for Centres to use as a central access point to enter and submit learner details. TheHub was transitioned over four phases and last week marked the final phase taking place, the launch!

The CRM system is an online secure platform, designed to store learner information directly, without the use of paper filing. Not only does this contribute to NEBDN’s Going Green campaign – to reduce the amount of paper usage, but it also supports a step in the digital direction that many Awarding Organisations are taking, to maximise ease of use for stakeholders and minimise delays in registrations and administration tasks.

What will the CRM system allow a Centre to do?

• Manage Centre & Learner details
• Submit Deferrals requests
• Appeal form completion
• Additional qualification approval requests
• Withdrawal requests
• Apply for Reasonable Adjustments
• Manage all quality assurance processes
• Submit Qualification Feedback
• Undertake activity with your Auditor by completing and uploading required documents

 

Kate Kerslake, CEO at NEBDN, commented: “This is a fantastic upgrade for NEBDN and something we have been planning as part of our vision to be the leading provider in Dental Nurse education and development. Moving to a digital platform allows Centres to manage learner details directly and for us to manage our exam processes through one area.”

TheHub is a portal for Centre access only.

Our Engagement Team has recorded helpful videos for how to use the system, available on our website. And Centres can access TheHub directly here.

Further developments will continue to be made by NEBDN in TheHub to support our Centres over the coming months with exams.

Do you know someone who has made a major impact on the
▪ Contribution to Dental Nursing developments
▪ Contribution to Dental Nursing education and training
▪ Contribution to general operations and development of NEBDN

If you do, then please join us in nominating someone for a Special Recognition Award!

What is a Special Recognition Award?
NEBDN developed the Special Recognition Awards to reflect and recognise the
significant contributions made by individuals to NEBDN and to Dental Nursing. The award may recognise a specific single achievement (e.g. for a specific project) or achievements over a significant period of time (e.g. a significant contribution for a number of years).

Criteria for selection:
To be considered for a Special Recognition Award, an individual will need to have worked across the following areas: working in patient care, oral health, member of NEBDN Board, or given more than five years’ service as an NEBDN Associate (Examiner, Helper, Qualification Committee, Subject Matter Expert).

How to nominate?
Please send your SRA nomination form 2021 to: SRA@nebdn.org

Closing date for nominations is 31 October 2021

Our office is now open, with a hybrid model of working in place.

The hybrid model means some NEBDN staff members will continue to work from home and others will return to the office on scheduled days of the week.

What does this mean for you?
We’re pleased to say this transition of hybrid working won’t affect the excellent customer service you or our stakeholders receive, as our employees are equipped to continue their roles remotely without any disruption to the service we provide. All calls and emails will still be answered, and our team can resume with the sending of certificates and badges without delay.

This new model provides flexibility to our employees and forms part of our ‘Green’ initiative to work smarter and reduce our environmental footprint. Our aim is to become a more environmentally sustainable organisation.

Important update on certificates & badges: we know many candidates have been asking about when they will receive their certificates and/or badges for all exams impacted from COVID-19. We apologise for the delay and any inconvenience this has caused and kindly ask that you are patient with our team whilst we work to support you with this.

We continue to work remotely from home and therefore for security and data protection, can’t print certificates or send badges from our home environments. This must be done through a controlled area, which is at our NEBDN head office where our stock is held. We can, however, announce that from the week commencing 26 July 2021, some of our team will be safely entering the office to complete all the outstanding badge and certificate orders.

Please remember to let us know if you have changed your address by emailing customersupport@nebdn.org, otherwise you might not receive your badge and/or certificate.

Any orders that come through after this date, will continue to be processed on an adhoc basis until the office reopens following government guidance.

 

The National Examining Board for Dental Nurses (NEBDN), celebrate their 1-year milestone working remotely, following the ongoing global pandemic COVID-19. Since the national lockdown in March 2020, NEBDN has introduced new systems and processes to support the delivery of online examinations and has successfully managed to reduce its environmental footprint by working from home. So far, the Lancashire-based Charity has reduced its carbon footprint by 34 tonnes, which is enough Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions to heat a house for 23 years. NEBDN has improved new ways of working and reduced unnecessary pollutions by decreasing paper usage, travel consumption and facilitating new operational methods; by switching to online meetings, digital storage systems and online assessments.

Over the last year, NEBDN has made positive ‘green’ changes by providing staff members with reusable water bottles, recycling food and drink items, moving paper expenses to an online app, producing digital content and online tickets for events, and integrating new online software solutions to enable staff to send documents and video chat via a secure Cloud-based server, making paper minutes something of the past.

Since working remotely, NEBDN has saved a total of 131,000 travel miles, 110 sacks of confidential paper waste, and facilitated the success of 4,727 candidates sitting an online written or Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) exam. This is a record for the most candidates sitting a dental nursing OSCE, which is a robust assessment method unique to NEBDN.

Since July 2020, NEBDN issued six online exams, saving the equivalent of 160,830 sheets of paper or 16 pine trees.

Kate Kerslake, CEO at NEBDN, commented: “As the CEO at NEBDN I’m incredibly proud of all that we’ve achieved over the year. Our team has continued to support its Course Providers in the teaching of our qualifications and support trainee and qualified Dental Nurses with their professional development during these very challenging times. Our commitment to creating a safe and robust online assessment method was developed over months not years, which is a true testament to the team and our operational staff.

“We understand costs of working from home affect the environment too, however a positive outcome of COVID-19 has been the immense reduction of travel for our Staff and “Trustees, and the amount of paper usage from facilitating exams. This has shown us how innovative and forward-thinking we can be, and as part of our ‘Going Green’ campaign this is something we plan to sustain throughout future years, as we continue to work towards creating a greener environment.”

NEBDN’s ‘Going Green’ campaign is a continued initiative to make positive environmental changes to lower its carbon emissions and generate greener solutions by utilising online platforms and lowering print and travel plans over the coming years, hosting more meetings virtually and looking at ways in which they safely recycle products. NEBDN is part of an Environmental Accomplishment recycling programme through one of its suppliers.

NEBDN is an Awarding Organisation and registered Charity based in Preston, Lancashire, delivering qualifications in both Pre-Registration and Post-Registration areas for dental nurses in the UK. NEBDN has been examining and awarding dental nursing qualifications for over 75 years and work alongside a network of 140+ accredited professionals to teach the students.

NEBDN continue to make changes to reduce emissions from remote working where possible and will continue to challenge itself in striving to be a more sustainable organisation.

 

NEBDN is supporting its course providers by sharing monthly articles named ‘Crowning Courses’, to highlight the Post-Registration qualifications on offer for accreditation. The articles are also useful for qualified dental nurses wanting to progress their careers, or those thinking of becoming a course provider wanting to know more about the qualifications we offer and how the course syllabus works.

This month’s Crowning Courses article features our Sedation qualification.

The course at a glance

NEBDN course providers offering the Sedation qualification can support qualified dental nurses in the progression of their Post-Registration journey.

NEBDN’s certificate in Dental Sedation Nursing is one of our Post-Registration qualifications aimed at registered dental nurses in specialist practice. Conscious Sedation is a vital part of modern dentistry enabling a huge number of patients with anxieties, phobias and other contributing medical factors, to access care they otherwise could not tolerate. In the UK this involves appropriately qualified clinically trained staff administering sedative drugs to the patient using the appropriate method;  intravenously, orally or through inhalation.

The course content

For more information on our Sedation qualification or syllabus click here

Exam schedule

Currently NEBDN provide two online exam dates a year in March and September for all Post-Registration exams. The exam consists of a number of multiple choice and extensive multiple choice questions.

Prior to sitting the exam, candidates are required to complete a work-based assessment portfolio called the Record of Competence (RoC), which can now be completed online for ease of use to candidates and course providers.

Click here for the exam schedule.

Success stats

• Online portfolio RoC
• Online exam
• 2,442 course provider searches in 2020 and 1,255 website views this year
• Currently we have 22 course providers offering this course
• No accreditation fee for existing course providers (£500 for new applicants)
• Featured on our course provider search list

As an awarding organisation, NEBDN offer the widest choice of Post-Registration qualifications across the UK in Radiography, Implant, Sedation, Oral Health, Orthodontics, Special Care and Fluoride Varnish Application. Offering an extensive range of qualifications provides flexibility for course providers wanting to expand and grow their businesses, as it allows students to stay within the same course provider practice when moving on to another area of dental nursing.

Process for accreditation

For more information, or to apply for accreditation, please contact the accreditation team at accreditation@nebdn.org or telephone us on 01772 429917.

Benefit of choosing an NEBDN accredited course

• NEBDN’s long-standing reputation outweighs many competitors, with over 75 years of providing dental nursing qualifications in both pre-registration and post-registration areas.
• Our primary qualification is recognised by a regulatory body, and as a registered charity we don’t charge any hidden fees or incentives, because our vision is to support the education and development of dental nurses in the UK.
• All candidates who successfully pass their qualifications are awarded certificates of completion as opposed to certificates of attendance which are of different relevance.
• Holding accreditation for delivery of qualifications indicates that the standards for education, policies, processes and procedures in place, highlight an effective quality management system which is the core foundation of a course provider.
• An accredited qualification could be more favourable with employers who are aware of the standards required to achieve qualification.

Costs

• Accreditation fee for existing course providers – no charge
• Accreditation fee for new course providers £500
• Course fee to us *£195 per candidate

*Additional fees to students may apply, subject to each course provider policy and course schedule

Where can this qualification take me?

A qualified dental nurse who completes the qualification in Dental Sedation Nursing, will be able to assist in dental sedation treatment.

You will be clinically involved in the preparation of the environment, monitoring the patient throughout and trained to assist with complication or emergencies should they arise. Your new skills and knowledge will enable you to prepare a safe and calm environment for your patients, offering clinical support throughout their procedure and delivering pre- and post-operative instructions to the patient and their chaperone.

Successful completion of this qualification will enhance your professional development and provide evidence to employers that you have had thorough training in this specialist area.

Search for a course provider

We know how exciting it is for candidates to have completed an exam and be awarded a certificate as part of their achievement, so we apologise for any disappointment we have caused if you have not yet received yours.

Unfortunately, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our office remains closed (since March 2020) and all our staff are working remotely from home, therefore staff can’t facilitate printing and sending certificates from the office within the usual timeframe. This includes priority service replacement certificates – these are also currently unavailable.

We understand how frustrating this news may be, however the safety of our staff is very important to us and following the government guidelines we must ensure a COVID safe working environment.

Our team is accommodating certificate requests as soon as possible under the circumstances and we ask that you kindly be patient as we work through the backlog whilst facilitating the online exams.

For National Diploma candidates, NEBDN has agreed with the General Dental Council that for this examination you will not need the physical certificate to apply to join the register. The GDC are aware of all candidates who are eligible to apply for registration.

As soon as our office re-opens and we can go back to ‘normal’ you’ll be the first to know.

Thank you for your support.

 

NEBDN is supporting its course providers by sharing monthly articles named ‘Crowning Courses’, to highlight the Post-Registration qualifications on offer for accreditation. The articles are also useful for qualified dental nurses wanting to progress their careers, or those thinking of becoming a course provider wanting to know more about the qualifications we offer and how the course syllabus works.

This month’s Crowning Courses article features our Implant qualification.

The course at a glance

NEBDN course providers offering the Implant qualification can support qualified dental nurses in the progression of their Post-Registration journey.

The certificate in Dental Implant Nursing is one of NEBDN’s Post-Registration qualifications aimed at registered dental nurses in specialist practice. Implant Dentistry is a highly advanced, specialised dental skill which is now a widely available treatment across the UK and overseas. It combines surgical skills with restorative expertise to help rebuild the  dentition.

The course content

For more information on our Implant qualification or syllabus click here

Exam schedule

Currently NEBDN provide two online exam dates a year in March and September for all Post-Registration exams.

Prior to sitting the exam, candidates are required to complete a work-based assessment portfolio called the Record of Competence, which can now be completed online for ease of use to candidates and course providers.

Click here for full exam schedule.

Success stats

• Online portfolio RoC
• Online exam
• One of the top 3 searched for qualifications on our course provider list in 2020, with 5,748 website views.
• Currently we have 12 course providers offering this course, and as you can see above, the interest and demand is there for new students to join.
• No accreditation fee for existing course providers (£500 for new applicants)
• Featured on our course provider search list

As an awarding organisation, NEBDN offer the most Post-Registration qualifications across the UK in Radiography, Implant, Sedation, Oral Health, Orthodontics, Special Care and Fluoride Varnish Application. Offering a wider range of qualifications provides flexibility for course providers wanting to expand and grow their businesses, as it allows students to stay within the same course provider practice when moving on to another area of dental nursing.

Process for accreditation

For more information, or to apply for accreditation, please contact the accreditation team at accreditation@nebdn.org or telephone us on 01772 429917.

Benefit of choosing an NEBDN accredited course

• NEBDN’s long-standing reputation outweighs many competitors, with over 75 years of providing dental nursing qualifications in both pre-registration and post-registration areas.
• Our primary qualification is recognised by a regulatory body, and as a registered charity we don’t charge any hidden fees or incentives, because our vision is to support the education and development of dental nurses in the UK.
• All candidates who successfully pass their qualifications are awarded certificates of completion as opposed to certificates of attendance which are of different relevance.
• Holding accreditation for delivery of qualifications indicates that the standards for education, policies, process and procedures in place, highlight an effective quality management system which is the core foundation of a course provider.
• An accredited qualification could be more favourable with employers who are aware of the standards required to achieve qualification.

Costs

• Accreditation fee for existing course providers – no charge
• Accreditation fee for new course providers £500
• Course fee to us *£195 per candidate

*Additional fees to students may apply, subject to each course provider policy and course schedule

Where can this qualification take me?

A qualified dental nurse who completes the qualification in Dental Implant Nursing, will be a vital part of the Clinical Implant team supporting the dentist, whilst contributing to the meticulous planning and exacting standards to ensure an optimum result for each patient.

Successful completion of this qualification will enhance your professional development and provide evidence to employers that you have had thorough training in this specialist area.

Search for a Course provider 

Earlier this year in August, we opened our annual Special Recognition Awards (SRAs) for individuals who have demonstrated dedication, outstanding service and commitment to NEBDN and/or the education and training of dental nurses, through involvement and achievement at a national or UK level. 

Following a shortlist, we are excited to announce the winners of the 2020 SRAs are:

Marie Parker – Former Chair at NEBDN (2013-2017)

Susan Wright – Associate Examiner and Committee member at NEBDN

Fiona Ellwood – Founder and Patron of the Society of British Dental Nurses

Margaret Stout – Retired Dental Nurse and former literary advisor to Mr Henry Levison, author of Levison’s Textbook for Dental Nurses.

We would like to take this opportunity to recognise four worthy recipients of NEBDN’s Special Recognition Awards for 2020. These awards are allocated across three categories and this is an exceptional year as we have two awards in the Contribution to Dental Nurse Education and Training category.

Marie Parker – Contribution to NEBDN category

Marie qualified as a Dental Nurse in 1994 and has worked in NHS hospitals and general and private dental practices. Marie has achieved Post Certification, Teaching and Management qualifications, including a Masters degree in education to help her develop and influence the status of dental nurses on a national basis.

Marie joined NEBDN in 2001 as an Examiner for the National Certificate and the Certificate in Oral Health Education (OHE). She joined the OHE committee and went on to chair this committee for several years before becoming a Trustee. As a member of the Finance Committee, she was instrumental in the appointment of new accountants to better serve the needs of NEBDN. She led the Business Improvement Group that was responsible for the development of the new Fluoride Varnish Course and encouraged more use of market research to inform Board strategy.

In the role of Chair of the Board from 2013 to 2017 she developed strong governance for NEBDN and an active and committed Board team achieving many changes which have prepared the organisation for its developing journey as an Awarding body. Marie has a passion to improve the education and training for Dental Nurses and has been committed to NEBDN’s vision and values, to continue to develop qualifications that meet the needs of tomorrow’s dental nurse.

 

Susan Wright – Contribution to Dental Nursing developments category

Susan has been involved with the teaching and IQA work for Dental Nurse courses for many years and continues to support and improve the function of NEBDN. Susan is a valued Associate Examiner and Committee member at NEBDN and draws her contributions from her many years of knowledge and experience as both a Dental Nurse and a Practice Manager.

 

Fiona Ellwood – Contribution to Dental Nurse education and training category

Fiona is the founder and patron of the Society of British Dental Nurses and has helped to develop and support the teaching of teams and individual educators as well as professional development. Her work spans across all four nations.

Fiona was a provider of NEBDN qualifications for many years both prior to and post mandatory registration, was an examiner for NEBDN’s registrable qualification, the oral health education qualification and was part of the early work in the transition to the more current NEBDN qualification. We know how proud she is to hold the NEBDN qualification herself.

Fiona holds many educational appointments both at the Royal Colleges and across the sector as well as dental nursing and is an External Examiner on a BSc Dental Nurse programme. She was the first Dental Care Professional to receive an Honorary Fellowship from the FGDP (uk) and one of the first to receive a Fellowship of the Dental Trainers Faculty at Royal College Surgeons (RCS) Edinburgh and is currently a member of the RCS Edinburgh Dental Education Advisory Board. Fiona is passionate about quality assurance in education and as such she was appointed as an education inspector for the General Dental Council.

 

Margaret Stout – Contribution to Dental Nurse education and training category

Margaret is responsible for inspiring Mr Henry Levison to write his Textbook for Dental Nurses – first published in 1960 and it is now published in its 12th edition, in many countries.

Margaret worked with the service and Mr Levison for five years and her dedication to the job and the patients never waned. Margaret’s enthusiastic presence within the small dental team of which she was such a large part, led to the publication of the first and enduring Textbook for Dental Nurses.

After a long and illustrious career, it’s no surprise that in the 9th edition of his textbook, Henry Levison wrote her a personal message; To Margaret, the best of all my nurses.

 

We would like to thank all our winners and nominees for the outstanding hard work you have provided to NEBDN and look forward to the next round of nominations in 2021.

Due to COVID-19 we are recognising our winners virtually this year and have posted an official NEBDN award and letter via postal service to show our gratitude.