Pages

Friday 19 April 2013

Progress

...
I'm registered for my dental nursing course!

Hooray!

It took a bit of time to find one that was workable, but I think it's very similar in structure to when I did an NVQ a few years ago.  Essentially, an assessor will come to the dental practice to act as a witness, write a report on what they observe me doing (such as check-ups, mixing materials etc), ask me questions relating to what I'm doing and why, I'll get assignments as we go, and together a portfolio of evidence is made to show that I can do the job.

It's not clear whether I'll still be required to take a qualifying exam at the end of it, but thus far it's looking good!

I've got a few small pieces of 'homework' to do before the assessor comes in for the first time so I'll be cracking on with that next week.

I've also had a blood test today.

Last year I got my Hepatitis B vaccines done - but my doctors surgery failed to mention that I needed a blood test to check that I actually had full immunity.  So off to Occupational Health I go!   They're the people that look after people who work in 'dangerous' jobs where they're at risk of infections and things like that.

Should I ever have a needlestick accident, for example, I'll be off to see them for a blood test to see if I've picked up anything nasty.

But today was all about taking some blood to primarily check my vaccines have worked but also to test for just about everything else - Hep B and C, HIV, measles, mumps, rubella - you name it, they seem to be testing for it!

It's not just for my benefit but also for patients and work colleagues - no one wants to find out there's someone in the building who has an infectious disease and is spreading it around with the occasional sneeze!

Hopefully I'll be given the all-clear in a few weeks time when the report is posted to me.

Feel like some good progress has been made this week!