Reading List

A focused Reading List to support and extend learning from CBT Techniques for Stress Management for Dental Nurses.

This course treats CBT as practical self-management tools rather than training in therapy delivery. The items below cover official guidance for dental professionals, basic CBT and self-help techniques, workplace stress, and where to find support across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

1. Core Dental and Workplace Guidance

• GDC - Standards for the Dental Team
  Professional standards for dental staff in the UK. Relevant to communication, patient-centred care, working with colleagues, professionalism and raising concerns when pressure affects safe care.
  https://www.gdc-uk.org/standards-guidance/standards-and-guidance/standards-for-the-dental-team

• GDC - Scope of practice
  GDC guidance on roles, skills and limits of different dental professionals, including dental nurses. Helps keep self-management within role boundaries and supports safe delegation and escalation.
  https://www.gdc-uk.org/standards-guidance/standards-and-guidance/scope-of-practice

• NICE - Mental wellbeing at work (NG212)
  Guidance on supportive workplace culture, work design and staff mental wellbeing. Useful for recognising employer responsibilities in preventing and managing work-related stress.
  https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng212

• HSE - Work-related stress and how to manage it
  A Health and Safety Executive summary of work-related stress in Great Britain. Describes the employer duty to assess and manage stress risks and to act early when problems arise.
  https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/overview.htm

2. CBT and Practical Self-Help

• NHS - Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
  A clear NHS explanation of CBT, what it treats and how it is accessed. Provides background for the practical techniques used in this course.
  https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt/

• NHS Every Mind Matters - Self-help CBT techniques
  A set of CBT-informed self-help techniques for managing worry, building resilience and spotting unhelpful thought patterns. Useful for practising the course techniques.
  https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/self-help-cbt-techniques/

• NHS Every Mind Matters - Thought record
  A structured CBT exercise for noting thoughts, feelings, evidence and alternative perspectives. Suitable for reflecting after stressful shifts or difficult interactions.
  https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/self-help-cbt-techniques/thought-record/

• NHS Every Mind Matters - Problem solving
  Guidance on separating actionable problems from hypothetical worries, which helps prioritise practical steps for workplace stress.
  https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/self-help-cbt-techniques/problem-solving/

• NHS Every Mind Matters - Stress
  A practical NHS guide to recognising stress and taking early self-care and recovery steps alongside CBT techniques.
  https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/stress/

3. Support Routes Across the Four Nations

• England - NHS talking therapies for anxiety and depression
  The national route to access talking therapies in England. Refer here when stress is persistent, develops into wider anxiety or low mood, or self-help is not sufficient.
  https://www.nhs.uk/talk

• Scotland - NHS inform: What to do if you are struggling with stress
  A Scotland-specific page on stress symptoms, coping steps and where to get further help.
  https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/mental-wellbeing/stress/what-to-do-if-you-are-struggling-with-stress/

• Wales - HEIW Mental health
  An NHS Wales workforce wellbeing resource listing mental health and practical support options for staff in Wales.
  https://heiw.nhs.wales/workforce/workforce-wellbeing/mental-health/

• Northern Ireland - nidirect Workplace stress
  A Northern Ireland government page on warning signs, practical actions and responsibilities around workplace stress.
  https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/workplace-stress

Use this list to deepen your practical knowledge of CBT-informed stress management, workplace wellbeing and the official support routes available when self-help is insufficient.