By Jacqui Elsden

Those of you who know me will find the next statement a bit of a shock. There is one thing that I have been grateful for, amongst many other things during the pandemic, and that is technology! My family, friends and colleagues will know that I am a complete technophobe, however it is the one thing that has brought us all together socially and for work purposes during the difficult lockdowns. I have tried to embrace technology as much as possible but it is an ongoing aspect of my personal development plan!

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Virtual communications with each other became more important than ever last year and at the British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN) we found that our members wanted to get in touch more than before. Behind the scenes we are a dedicated team of dental nurses who strive to provide our membership with as much support and information as we can, and it was for this reason that during the first lockdown we launched BADN's One-to-One Professional Network facility for members. We wanted to maximise the opportunities available to members to facilitate the building of strong professional relationships. It is important for me to mention that this network does not replace the support provided by Head Office, the Executive Committee, the Education Committee and the Panel of Representatives, but as an adjunct to that support.

It is a facility purely for BADN members to communicate with other BADN members. It is not compulsory to sign up as part of BADN membership but is for members who feel they can offer peer support or for those members who wish to receive peer support. Building our profession is a role we are all interested in and sharing our knowledge and expertise is essential for self-development and our dental nursing profession. It enables us to gain insight into areas that are less familiar to us but also provides information to others about the experiences gained during our careers. This electronic platform therefore connects members to members seamlessly as a result of the information it receives. It is an easy system to use, even for technophobes like me!

Many dental nurses have had training and development interrupted during the pandemic and our One-to-One Professional Network facility has provided additional opportunities to members trying to support their colleagues during this difficult time.

Did you know that trainee dental nurses can join BADN for just £10 a year? If you employ a trainee dental nurse or work with a trainee dental nurse, please do contact us at enquiries@badn.org.uk or visit our website www.badn.org.ukfor more information. The One-to-One Professional Network platform facility is amongst many other support services on offer to BADN members to support your dental nursing career.