NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice of Dental Nursing (Integrated Apprenticeship)
Ref:
610/1340/7
Sector:
Health, Public Services and Care, Health
Features:
Licence to Practice, Preparation for Employment, Dental
Registration & certification fee:
£230.50
Level:
Level 3
Minimum entry age:
16
GLH:
371
TQT:
599
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About this qualification
This qualification is approved by the General Dental Council (GDC) and is designed for those who are working as an apprentice Dental Nurse and who wish to complete an apprenticeship, register with the GDC and qualify as a Dental Nurse.
This qualification covers all of the GDC Learning Outcomes and maps to Skills for Health’s National Occupational Standards (NOS).
It is an mandatory element within the Dental Nurse Apprenticeship Standard for England, and the end-point assessment is integrated into this qualification.
Upon completion, it will enable learners to apply for registration with the GDC.
Please note: centres must have GDC registered staff in place to deliver these qualifications, before applying for approval.
Who is it suitable for?
This qualification is suitable for learners who are 16 or over who would like to qualify as a Dental Nurse. Learners should be enrolled, or intending to enrol, on the integrated Dental Nursing apprenticeship in England.
What are the entry requirements?
This qualification is designed for all those who wish to work as a Dental Nurse or trainee Dental Nurse and who wish to obtain a dental nursing qualification leading to GDC registration.
Entry is at the discretion of the centre. However, learners should be aged 16 or above to undertake this qualification.
As this qualification is for apprenticeship learners on the English apprenticeship only, the learner should also live in England or conduct the majority of their work in England.
How is this qualification structured?
To be awarded this qualification, learners must pass and achieve the 17 internally assessed units (DNI 1–16 and UFAEI) before moving on past ‘gateway’ to complete their final 3 end-point assessment units (EPA 1–3). The qualification will only be awarded after the EPA units have been passed.
The qualification is graded achieved/not yet achieved.
How is it assessed?
The first 17 units (DNI 1-16 and UFAEI) are internally assessed through a portfolio of evidence. Optional sample assessment tasks have been provided in a separate document in the member’s area of our website.
EPA units 1–3 make up the end-point assessment of the apprenticeship standard and must be completed last.
EPA unit 1 is a Knowledge Test, EPA unit 2 is an Observation of Practice and EPA unit 3 is an Interview. The EPA units are therefore externally assessed by our partner organisation EPA Plus. Please see www.ncfe.org.uk/end-point-assessment for more information.
How long will it take to complete this qualification?
18 months – 2 years
Do you need to be working to take this qualification?
Learners will need to be working with a full-time employment contract in place, and enrolled on the Level 3 Dental Nurse Integrated Apprenticeship to be able to show competence in both knowledge and skills and complete this qualification.
Apprentices must be in the workplace for a minimum of 30 hours per week.
What related qualifications can you progress to?
Level 4 or 5 qualifications in:
• dental sedation
• dental radiography
• dental technology
• oral health education
• special care dental nursing
• orthodontic nursing
• dental practice management.
Career opportunities
On completion of this qualification, learners may progress into employment as a Dental Nurse or onto other career pathways (with additional entry qualifications), including:
• Dental Hygienist
• Dental Therapist
• Orthodontic Therapist
• Laboratory Technician
• Dentist
• Senior Nurse
• Practice Manager
• Tutor
• Teacher and Assessor of trainee Dental Nurses.
Funding for our qualifications
Find out more about funding for this and other qualifications on our funding page.
Which type of job roles can you apply for on completion?
Dental Nurse
Support materials
Qualification specification (PDF | 930 KB)
Qualification specification (Word) (DOCX | 608 KB)
Appendices, policies and statements (PDF | 981 KB)
Qualification approval and EQA reviews (PDF | 643 KB)
Qualification factsheet (PDF | 123 KB)
Sample assessment tasks (PDF | 1609 KB)
Assessment specification (PDF | 3623 KB)
Support Handbook (PDF | 327 KB)
Unit breakdown
Contribute to Health and Safety in the Dental Environment (Y/618/4908)
Work Within Regulatory Requirements in Relation to the Role of a Dental Nurse (D/618/4909)
Reflect on and Develop Own Practice as a Dental Nurse (R/618/4910)
Prepare and Maintain Environments, Instruments and Equipment for Clinical Dental Procedures (Y/618/4911)
Promote Oral Health for Individuals (D/618/4912)
Provide Support During the Assessment of Individuals' Oral Health (H/618/4913)
Contribute to the Production of Dental Images (K/618/4914)
Provide Support During the Prevention and Control of Periodontal Disease, Caries and the Restoration of Cavities (M/618/4915)
Provide Support During the Provision of Fixed and Removable Prostheses (T/618/4916)
Provide Support During Non-Surgical Endodontic Treatment (A/618/4917)
Provide Support During the Extraction of Teeth and Minor Oral Surgery Procedures (F/618/4918)
Principles of Infection Control in the Dental Environment (J/618/4919)
Dental Anatomy and Assessment of Oral Health (A/618/4920)
Principles and Techniques of Dental Radiography (F/618/4921)
Principles of Managing Oral Disease and Dental Procedures (J/618/4922)
Understand Ethics and Professionalism in Dental Nursing (L/618/4923)
First Aid Essentials (R/618/4924)
Knowledge Test (Y/618/4925)
Observation of Practice (D/618/4926)
Interview (H/618/4927)