I am the Dental Unit Support Officer in the Clinical Skills Laboratory for the NHS South West Dental Postgraduate Department based in Derriford Hospital, Plymouth. It is also called the PRIDE Unit, which stands for Plymouth Regional Initiative in Dental Education.

The facility has 11 workstations and holds S63 University of Bristol Dental Postgraduate courses. We also hold sessions for vocational trainees (or Foundation Dentists); participants come to us from Truro, Exeter and Plymouth, and the facility is available for exam practice.

My number one passion was ice skating. I trained in Oxfordshire, entered national competitions and got interviewed for ‘Holiday on Ice’ – but at the time I was a year too young so had to wait a year. While I waited I completed an NVQ Level 1 and 2 in Floristry at the Plymouth College of Further Education.

I worked part-time as a florist in Plymouth City Centre. For personal reasons, I had to give up my ice skating career. I had to move my career in a new direction for the long term.

Someone told me about a vacancy for a dental nurse/receptionist. It interested me and luckily I was offered the position. It was a small single-handed practice and this was where my dental career began.

I gained experience and knowledge and moved on to several other dental practices around the Plymouth area. In 1999 I took my dental nursing national qualification exam and passed. I have since complete the CIEH Level 2 in Risk Assessment, the CIEH Level 2 in Conflict & Personal Safety as well as CPD training in medical emergencies, disinfection and decontamination and many other topics.

When I was a little girl I wanted to be a nurse. Dental nursing appealed to me because it is practical and hands on and it involves helping people and working in a caring environment. I have worked in NHS and private practices and at HM Prison Dartmoor.

In 2004 I had a career break to start a family. I am now mum to two children: Isabelle who is six and Tom, four.

Heidi with Dr Susan Gregory (centre) opening the PRIDE Unit

In 2008 I applied for my current position as Dental Unit Support Officer with NHS South West. I so wanted to return to dentistry and this looked like an exciting opportunity. I was really surprised to be offered the position. It was a completely new role so I had no one to take over from. I was ready to make it my own. I was 100% motivated and enthusiastic to get the facility working to its full potential, looking its best, providing excellent hands on courses and supporting my line managers.

My job is always interesting and I am always presented with new challenges. My biggest challenge has been refurbishing the facility. It started initially as a small project to upgrade our phantom heads but this escalated into a much larger project!

The PRIDE Unit took a year of research and planning. We looked at various options and the ideal was to purchase a simulation unit containing all of the water/suction/air connections of a real dental surgery, which is realistic for students. The workstations are also mobile so could be moved to another facility if necessary.

Managing the project was fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it and had great support from my line managers. It was quite intensive and I had to be sure it all ran to timescales, caused the least inconvenience possible, being in a hospital setting, and also kept to hospital policies.

On an average day in the unit I work alone with my line managers nearby – but the hospital environment is a sociable place. I spend my time setting up for practical courses. A course can be for up to 40 people if it is a three-day event. I also organise the ordering of materials, submitting courses online, liaising with lecturers, finances, setting up the demonstrator's station along with all of the delegate workstations, ensuring all handouts are ready, and generally ensuring the smooth running of the facility and the courses. It is always busy and very often there is a unique project or challenge, but I love it!

I have also started a City & Guilds qualification in Preparing to Teach in the Life-Long Learning Sector Level 3 which I hope to pass in December 2011.

The PRIDE project has been a 100% success. It has made a massive improvement to our hands on courses. We've had very positive feedback and are really pleased with our facility. We arranged an opening ceremony in July this year and the facility was officially reopened by Deputy Chief Dental Officer of the UK, Dr Susan Gregory.

Balancing my work life with other elements of my life can be a challenge in itself. I feel that it is important to have out-of-work activities to wind down. My favourite is spending time with my family and taking our caravan further down into Cornwall where we enjoy the simple beach life: surfing, body-boarding and chilling out!