Preparing to leave the navy

So..... after many years service in the Royal Navy I had decided to leave. Not because I disliked my job, far from it, but because the demands of service life were no longer compatible with my life as the mother of a young son.

I submitted my 12 months notice and immediately began my preparations to leave.

The Navy provides a comprehensive resettlement package for all service leavers, and I was determined you use all that was on offer. I began with the standard courses offered to everyone which provide advice on essential topics such as CV writing and job hunting as well as advice on accounting and starting up your own business.

I then began looking at what courses I could attend to make myself a better Dental Hygienist. When treating my patients in the past a common barrier to providing treatment has been the fear many people have of dental treatment, so I decided to look into how hypnosis could be used in dentistry to calm nervous patients. I had read articles on how hypnosis could be used to relax patients enough that implants could be placed without using any anaesthetic! I wondered if it might help me calm my nervous patients enough to effectively clean their teeth. I promptly booked myself on the course, where I learned some amazing if somewhat time consuming techniques to put patients into a state of relaxation. I also booked myself on a "Cleaner, brighter, whiter" course where I learned the theory and practice of tooth whitening, a purely cosmetic procedure not carried out within the military, allowing me to whiten teeth to the prescription of a dentist.

I had worked as a Hygienist for many years and as a Dental Nurse before that, so had a wealth of experience interacting with and treating patients. I was also aware, however, that my treatment had mainly been provided to service personnel, and I felt that it would be beneficial to gain some more experience working with a more varied patient base. As part of my resettlement package I was offered the option to use some of my leave to complete a civilian work attachment. I felt this would be the perfect opportunity to enhance my breadth of experience.

Throughout my time as a hygienist in the Navy I had been able to provide excellent and ethical treatment to my patients and I was determined not to compromise on this. I began looking for dental practices which I felt put patients first and subscribed to this ethos. Absolute Dental was one of the first on my list, having a very good reputation amongst dental professionals. I spoke to Emma at Absolute Dental, and was over the moon to be offered the chance to complete a civilian work attachment at this most prestigious practice.

And now?

Well, I will complete my civilian work attachment at Absolute Dental this month and am pleased to have been offered a permanent position at the practice. The attachment has been a fabulous experience for me and has given me an insight into the workings of a successful dental practice and allowed me to work with some truly lovely fellow dental professionals.

After 16 years service in the Royal Navy, leaving the military was an initially daunting prospect and I began with trepidation. However with preparation, planning and enthusiasm I have found that far from embarking upon my new life with nervousness I am excited for what exciting opportunities the future holds........

 

Janie