Newly qualified dental nurses at mydentist have celebrated a milestone pass rate of 94% following January's OSCE [Objective Structured Clinical Exam] exam results, with 243 nurses passing the exam in total - a record high for the dental care provider.

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Lucy Vitorino with her colleagues at the practice opening of mydentist Huntingdon

Remaining committed to the progression of its dental nurses, mydentist is the UK's biggest NEBDN (National Examining Board for Dental Nurses) provider and runs regular workshops, one-to-one coaching sessions and mentoring options for its dental nurses.

The North East and Scotland saw an astounding 100% pass rate, accompanied by the mydentist Orthodontics division which also saw an 100% pass rate. This was closely followed by the South East region which had a pass rate of 98.5%. Meanwhile, the South West and Wales saw an impressive pass rate of 91.5% and the North West and Northern Ireland reached an 89.5% pass rate.

The pass rate of 94% is a milestone achievement for mydentist, with the national average pass rate currently sitting at 91%, putting the dental care provider 3% ahead of the standard pass rate.

Mydentist is committed to providing its dental nurses with the resources and support that they need to achieve their career goals, including the mydentist Academy, which is available to all dental nurses and mydentist colleagues and includes podcasts, recorded training sessions and activities to support the learning and development of dental nurses, which are available all year round.

This year, the mydentist Academy extended this offering, adding tailored OSCE revision packs for its dental nursing students, in addition to holding regular drop-in sessions to provide them with ongoing support that they could access whenever they needed it.

Jayne Owen, Head of Learning and Development at mydentist, said: ‘We are so proud of all of our colleagues who took part in this year's OSCE exams and very excited to see what all 243 nurses who passed the exam go on to achieve at mydentist in the future. It really does take a village to support our student nurses and our in-practice teams do a brilliant job of guiding them.'

Lucy Vitorino, newly qualified dental nurse at mydentist Huntingdon, said: ‘I absolutely adore my job, so put so much hard work and passion into preparing for the exam to make sure I passed - I don't think I've ever worked as hard as I have in the last year and am so glad it all paid off. I'd like to thank my mentor, Stacey Topper, for being so supportive, caring and wonderful. I couldn't have asked for a better mentor and she never once doubted me - even when I was doubting myself.

‘My practice manager, Alison Clark, has also been incredible. She went above and beyond to ensure that I had the time and resources I needed leading up to my exams. There are no words to describe just how grateful I am to Alison, Stacey and to the team for helping me through the past year - they've all been my constant source of encouragement and laughter, making my experience all the better. I'm looking forward to exploring specialties within dentistry and even possibly embracing the role of a hygienist in the future - excited doesn't even cover it, and I'm eager to continue to grow in my career.

‘I'd really advise anyone else prepping for the OSCE exam to find the studying technique that works best for you. Never be afraid to ask for help, too. I found that asking other dental nurses or dentists questions I was really stuck on to be extremely beneficial to my learning process, and no question is too big or too small. I also found that carving out time to see my friends and family really helped me to take time to reset if I felt stressed about revising. Finally, I'd say that as easy as it is to say and as hard as it might be to do - don't doubt yourself.'

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Lucy Vitorino

Charlie Greene, newly qualified dental nurse at mydentist Aldwark, said: ‘I was so thrilled to receive my OSCE results! I was so nervous waiting for my results but so relieved to know my hard work paid off, as I can now look forward to exploring further post qualification options for my development. Over the next few months, I'm excited to develop my role as a dental nurse, attending implant nurse training and visiting a digital dental lab to gain a greater understanding of how lab work is constructed.

‘Eventually, I would like to become an oral health educator so that I can continue my passion for helping patients understand the importance of oral hygiene. My tip for any nurse preparing for the OSCE exam would be to spread the workload and revision over a long period of time and follow a “little and often” approach - this helped me significantly when I was preparing for my exams.'

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Charlie Greene

Tiegan Pond, newly qualified dental nurse at mydentist Falmouth, said: ‘I feel very happy and proud of my results, which are a reflection of not only the hard work that I put into preparing for the exam but also the fantastic support of my team and colleagues. Safe to say that waiting for the results was very nerve-wracking, so I was very relieved to receive them.

‘I'm really looking forward to seeing what extra qualifications I can pursue at mydentist and where my career will take me in the future. I would definitely advise other people sitting the exams to make sure that their time management skills are as sharp as possible, and I found using flashcards a really easy, effective way to study as you can test yourself throughout the revision process, making you feel as prepared as possible.'

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Tiegan Pond

For more information on careers at mydentist, visit https://www.mydentist.co.uk/careers.