Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

About the author Glenys Bridges is an independent dental team trainer. She can be con- tacted at glenys.bridges@gmail.com United Kingdom Edition Complies with all relevant directives: ✓93/42 EEC ✓DIN EN 868-5 ✓ISO 11607 Keep your sterilisation process safe and simple! Self-adhesive sterilisation pouches DUX Dental Zonnebaan 14, NL-3542 EC Utrecht The Netherlands Tel. +(31) 30 241 0924 Fax. +(31) 30 241 0054 Email: info@dux-dental.com www.duxdental.com With Closure Validators Adhesive edge for easy closure, 19 mm Internal and external processing indicators 12 different sizes, colour coded Order your free trial pack now! (15 pouches 90 x 230 mm) info@dux-dental.com DUX_ad_PV_1-2p_DT_EN_sep12.indd 1 31-08-2012 14:53:06 M anythingshavechanged in the profession over recent years. One thing that has not changed is the most frequently given answer by stu- dents enrolling onto non-clinical skills programmes, when asked “What do you want to achieve from this course?” The majority of new learners say: “I want to feel more confident in my work.” The good news is that when asked in end of course evalua- tions, “What did you gain from the course?” in the response is always, “confidence”. From the trainers point of view this raises a few questions, beginning with: “What is the elusive ‘confidence element’ and how does training increase feelings of confidence and competence?” The starting point to answer these questions is a dictionary definition for self-confidence - Macmillan Dictionary defines self-confidence as ‘a feeling that you can do things well and that people respect you’ - Let’s look at these two elements individually. Feeling you can do things well: They say that “practice makes perfect”. There is no doubt that we feelmuchmorecomfortablewhen doing familiar work task, than we do when trying something new. But if the technique used is poor, or the task unfocused and not fit for purpose repetition will not im- prove results. To do things well we must be able to identify the re- quired end results, so that we can plan ways to achieve those results using methods that recognise the needs of the patients, the dental team and the dental business. The skills for this are what the training must provide. Namely skills of au- dit and evaluation can be taught and applied to individual tasks, so that these are no longer empty tasks performed for compliance, but meaningful activities leading to tangible benefits, continuous improvement and increased self- confidence. Feeling that people respect you: Something very few dental teams have truly understood is the im- mense power for the good that can be accessed by offering sup- port and positive regard to your team colleagues. We have got the idea that teamwork involves trust and cooperation, yet no idea of how to support each other’s skills and confidence by showing them respect. Too many of the dental teams I work with have not got a working knowledge about what respecting colleagues’ means, or how to do it. In my opinion some of the main reason for the lack of re- spect and recognition extended to dental colleagues are due to: • The tendency to be task-focused, rather than person-focused • A failure to thank colleagues when thanks are due • Problem- focused blame, rather than solution–focused cultures Each of these lead to feel- ings that colleagues are secretly pleased to see you fail, rather knowing that your colleagues are watch , rather than getting ready to stab you in the back. It is much more complex to decide how training can help with this it as- pect of self-confidence. There are many formats train- ing can take; each format has its part to play in developing quality dental services when woven into an overall training and develop- ment plan. Micro aspects of train- ing look at on the job instructions, how to do... Without doubt the confidence of workers is higher when they know what is expected of them and how to deliver this. Macro aspects of training are the route to lasting confidence. This is because it provides ‘tools to think with’. This provides is a working knowledge of proven theories and techniques so that people can master their respon- sibilities, not only when things are going well, but they have the resources to put things right when things are not going to plan. Training to secure this level of competence for clinical for dental professionals is generally availa- ble, whereas this sort of quality of training for the non-clinical den- tal team lags behind. As a result the self-confidence of non-clinical dental professionals is lower than that of their clinical colleagues. In June a meeting of non- clinical dental professional, prac- tice manager, trainer and dental media representatives met at As- ton University Business School to form CASPER, Coordinators of Administrative Standards and Pro- fessional Education for Reception- ist, practice managers and care coordinators. One of CASPER’s objective is to increase the profile and provision of quality non-clini- cal dental training and secure the confidence element in practices throughout the UK. Watch this space. DT In search of the confidence element by Glenys Bridges