MRI update: Are you disrupting your practice by failing to value your dental nurse?

It is widely accepted that the practice support staff, and particularly the dental nurse, have a major role to play in ensuring patient satisfaction and reassurance. Despite this, findings from recent research by Maria Mindak show that dental nurses do not as a rule receive praise, encouragement or feedback from their dentist. As a result, morale is low and staff turnover is high. It is all well and good for dentists to shrug their shoulders and accept that this is just how things are, but as leaders of the dental team is it their responsibility to encourage 'job satisfaction'. And as business people is it in their interest to keep staff in whom they have invested training time and resources. Is it time to rethink your people resources strategy?