A: Go morning Dianne. Nice to meet you.
D: Morning.
A: Can we start at the beginning. Where were you born?
D: In Hobart.
A: And were you bought up in Hobart?
D: I lived and was bought up on a small country farm.
A: Whereabouts?
D: In Tunnack. So that is inland from Oatlands.
A: So where was your first job?
D: So, we moved from Tunnack to Richmond and I was in grade 8 and I worked at the bakery in Richmond.
A: That was a part time job?
D: Part time job after school.
A: Where was your first full time job?
D: First full time job was with Dr Tony Weidenbach when he was in the mall. So, I left grade ten, when sixteen, and started there in January, February.
A: You were working as a dental nurse?
D: Yes.
A: Why did you want to be a dental nurse?
D: Well. Long story. I went there for work experience in year ten. My first choice was actually hair dressing. Back in the days. 35 years ago, I thought hairdressing would be the thing to do and my second choice was dental nursing and I went there for a week of work experience and they actually rang me, In December, when I fished year ten and they asked me if I wanted to go there for a full time position.
A: You impressed them so much.
D: (laughter) Must have done.
A: Well, that’s good.
D: And I was with Tony for ten years.
A: So, your first day of work as a dental nurse what were you expecting?
D: But I was only very young then and I was daunted at the start and then when I started, I loved it. The patients. I loved the hands on doing things and I loved the variation of everything.
A: After the ten years there, we moved to Melbourne for two years. So, I worked In Collins Street at a dental practice there.
D: And then I came back when I fell pregnant with my eldest son. We came back home. We had family help. And that is when I went to Dr Chau’s. for eighteen years.
A: How was that?
D: Good. He was crazy. I remember walking into that practice and thinking. This is busy. Like people everywhere and lot of dentists and lot of patients.
A: So how were the two Hobart practices different?
D: Chau’s was a bigger practice. Lot more dentists. Lot more staff.
D: Dr Chau worked a lot differently. He had his six hands. He came in, sat down. We passed all his instruments. And he had one assistant on that side. He worked a lot different. He had two girls in each room. So, he had four girls.
A: So, you had to work with the other girl as well.
D: Yes.
A: So, you enjoyed it, obviously?
D: Yes. I loved the fast pace. It was good.
A: But now you are working in Sorell with Roger.
D: We live here between Sorell and Richmond. It’s great. I love it here. It is a very busy practice. And Dr Puckridge and the whole team are great.
A: You seem to have only worked in busy and successful practices.
D: Yes. I Love it. Under pressure. Getting things done.
A: Are all these practices successful because of you?
D: (ha Ha) I don’t know. I hope they think I am an asset.
A: I’m sure you are. Always on reception?
D: Yes. We go into the surgery one day a month. So, we keep up with our skills.
A: So how is reception different from wet fingered hands on?
D: I like both. I love going back into the surgery for that one day. It is different but still equally as good.
A: In reception you have to be a matchmaker. Match the patient up with the dentist. Is that correct?
D: Yes. We get a phone call and from the phone call we try and decipher who that patient is going to be good fit for.
A: Yes.
D: And most of the time we get it right.
A: How many dentists are there here?
D: Six, no seven.
A: That’s a lot. And a lot of staff.
D: I love the lot of staff environment.
A: Do certain dentist work with special nurses.
D: We rotate every day.
A: What is the reason for that?
D: Back in the day they used to have one nurse with one dentist.
A: I belong back in the good old days.
D: And that was the fit and that’s how you did it.
D: Now the split roster and you know how everyone works. And if someone is off sick or on holidays.
To be continued
D: Morning.
A: Can we start at the beginning. Where were you born?
D: In Hobart.
A: And were you bought up in Hobart?
D: I lived and was bought up on a small country farm.
A: Whereabouts?
D: In Tunnack. So that is inland from Oatlands.
A: So where was your first job?
D: So, we moved from Tunnack to Richmond and I was in grade 8 and I worked at the bakery in Richmond.
A: That was a part time job?
D: Part time job after school.
A: Where was your first full time job?
D: First full time job was with Dr Tony Weidenbach when he was in the mall. So, I left grade ten, when sixteen, and started there in January, February.
A: You were working as a dental nurse?
D: Yes.
A: Why did you want to be a dental nurse?
D: Well. Long story. I went there for work experience in year ten. My first choice was actually hair dressing. Back in the days. 35 years ago, I thought hairdressing would be the thing to do and my second choice was dental nursing and I went there for a week of work experience and they actually rang me, In December, when I fished year ten and they asked me if I wanted to go there for a full time position.
A: You impressed them so much.
D: (laughter) Must have done.
A: Well, that’s good.
D: And I was with Tony for ten years.
A: So, your first day of work as a dental nurse what were you expecting?
D: But I was only very young then and I was daunted at the start and then when I started, I loved it. The patients. I loved the hands on doing things and I loved the variation of everything.
A: After the ten years there, we moved to Melbourne for two years. So, I worked In Collins Street at a dental practice there.
D: And then I came back when I fell pregnant with my eldest son. We came back home. We had family help. And that is when I went to Dr Chau’s. for eighteen years.
A: How was that?
D: Good. He was crazy. I remember walking into that practice and thinking. This is busy. Like people everywhere and lot of dentists and lot of patients.
A: So how were the two Hobart practices different?
D: Chau’s was a bigger practice. Lot more dentists. Lot more staff.
D: Dr Chau worked a lot differently. He had his six hands. He came in, sat down. We passed all his instruments. And he had one assistant on that side. He worked a lot different. He had two girls in each room. So, he had four girls.
A: So, you had to work with the other girl as well.
D: Yes.
A: So, you enjoyed it, obviously?
D: Yes. I loved the fast pace. It was good.
A: But now you are working in Sorell with Roger.
D: We live here between Sorell and Richmond. It’s great. I love it here. It is a very busy practice. And Dr Puckridge and the whole team are great.
A: You seem to have only worked in busy and successful practices.
D: Yes. I Love it. Under pressure. Getting things done.
A: Are all these practices successful because of you?
D: (ha Ha) I don’t know. I hope they think I am an asset.
A: I’m sure you are. Always on reception?
D: Yes. We go into the surgery one day a month. So, we keep up with our skills.
A: So how is reception different from wet fingered hands on?
D: I like both. I love going back into the surgery for that one day. It is different but still equally as good.
A: In reception you have to be a matchmaker. Match the patient up with the dentist. Is that correct?
D: Yes. We get a phone call and from the phone call we try and decipher who that patient is going to be good fit for.
A: Yes.
D: And most of the time we get it right.
A: How many dentists are there here?
D: Six, no seven.
A: That’s a lot. And a lot of staff.
D: I love the lot of staff environment.
A: Do certain dentist work with special nurses.
D: We rotate every day.
A: What is the reason for that?
D: Back in the day they used to have one nurse with one dentist.
A: I belong back in the good old days.
D: And that was the fit and that’s how you did it.
D: Now the split roster and you know how everyone works. And if someone is off sick or on holidays.
To be continued
