Dental Nurse

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1.         Communication and relationship skills

   ·   Provide compassion and support to the patient during and after treatments making them fell at ease.

   ·   Work closely with the duty dentist ensuring the treatment plans are understood so that preparation can take place, following instruction by the duty dentist.

   ·   Provide post-operative instructions to patients ensuring they understand GA fasting instructions, oral health promotion and care, advice on the wearing of dentures.

   ·      Help maintain patient’s comfort and dignity at all times and give basic advice and reassurance to patients and clients especially where there may be communication difficulties.

   ·   Receiving and preparing patients for treatment, if necessary moving and handling of patients from wheelchairs to the dental chair by hoist in line with the moving and handling recommendations.

   • Liaise with the lead nurse to improve working procedures
   • Attend all team meetings when necessary to discuss existing procedures and future plans for the service.

    

2.   Knowledge, training and experience

   A qualified dental nurse should:

   •  Hold the NEBDN certificate in dental nursing/NVQ level 3 city & guilds in oral health care or recognized equivalent.

   ·     Maintain yearly general dental council registration.

   ·     Maintain their clinical skills and knowledge base throughout their professional career.

   ·     Maintain relevant statutory and mandatory training.

   ·   Have good interpersonal skills as it is frequently necessary to communicate with patients who have complex medical conditions and complex treatment plans.

   ·   Flexibility to work in all dental departments/clinics inclusive of dentaline when required.

   • Work within pre-defined guidelines.
   • Clinical supervision where the service deems necessary and or appropriate.
   • Participate in clinical audit and governance when necessary.
   • Work as part of a team, demonstrating flexibility in a changing environment. 

    

   3.          Analytical and judgement skills

   The post hold should:

   ·   Have good analytical and judgemental skills so that prompt action can be taken in complex clinical and non-clinical procedures and situations.

   ·   Act on own initiative where required guided by service policies/protocols in the absence of another team member.

   • Must have the ability to take prompt action in a range of emergency clinical and non-clinical procedures and situations and equipment failure.
   • Must be able to anticipate individual patient emergency needs.

    

   4.          Planning and organisational skills

   The post holder should:

   • Prepare the dental surgery before the start of the day in line with the agreed protocols adhering to infection control policies and procedures.
   • Receive and prepare patients for treatment.
   • Processing and mounting of dental radiographs, dental radiographs are to be taken in accordance with Ionising radiation medical exposure regulations. (IRMER)
   • Ensure that all dental instruments are decontaminated appropriately in accordance to the service policies/protocols and in a timely manner.
   • Ensure that the surgery is decontaminated and cleaned and in a timely manner prior to the next patient’s treatment ensuring that the service policies and protocols are followed at all times.
   • Ensure at the end of day that the surgery is decontaminated and cleaned following service policies and protocols.
   • Ensure accuracy when recording and charting treatment plans within the R4 appointment system.
   • Preparing and monitoring laboratory work and making necessary plans when work is not ready.
   • Ensure that the service training needs are met by planning other commitments in order to attend.
   • Making and recording appointments which suit the patient and the organisational requirements.
   • Organising school screening when required and completing the returns prior to collation and analysis.
   • Ensuring that equipment and building deficiencies and breakages are reported.
   • Maintaining medical files in line with organisational requirements.
   • Maintaining a regular supply of essential materials and ordering to replenish when necessary.
   • Maintain a relevant record of costings.

    

   5.          Physical skills

   The post holder will be expected to:

   • Move and handle patients from wheelchairs to the dental chair, either by hoist in line with Moving and Handling recommendations set out by the organisation.
   • Walking to waiting area to receive and retrieve patients.

   ·     On occasions work with limited scope for movement during treatments, whilst sitting for long periods.

   • On occasions make repetitive movement during treatment.
   • Be required to twist and bend whilst treating patients in order to maintain a good line of sight throughout treatment.
   • On occasions lift pharmaceutical chests and deliveries of stock of whose weight will not exceed 4Kg.

    

   6.          Responsibility for patient / client care

   The post holder should:

   • Ensure the patient is given the appropriate pharmacy advice leaflets, where applicable.
   • Check the patient has understood how to take the medication they have been prescribed before they leave the clinic, notifying the dentist when a patient has not understood this information in order that this information can be re-iterated to them by the dentist.
   • Dealing with treatment enquiries in the absence of a duty dentist.
   • Ensure the patient is given the appropriate advice leaflet following dental extractions and the patient understands the importance of following the instructions on the leaflet.
   • Observing the patient’s condition throughout treatment.

    

   7.          Responsibility for policy and service development implementation

           The post holder will be:

   • Responsible for ensuring all policies, procedures and guidelines that are implemented within the service are adhered to within their own area of work.

    

   8.          Responsibilities for financial and physical resources

   The post holder will;

   ·       Receive payments from patients and issuing receipts following the organisational standing financial instructions.

   ·       Ensure that reconciliation of payments are correct at the end of every day and documented following organisational standing financial Instructions.

   ·       Prepare money for banking.

   ·       Maintain a cash float.

   ·       Responsible for ordering of dental materials and equipment when required following service guidelines.

    

   9.          Responsibilities for human resources (HR)

   • To help the service to integrate new team members ensuring protocols and procedures are adhered to at all times.

   .

   10.       Responsibilities for information resources

   ·   The post holder will have no overall responsibility for information resources.

    

   11.       Responsibilities for research and development (R&D)

   The post holder has limited responsibility for research and development in the following areas;

   ·  Completion of radiograph audits following service policies and procedures.

   ·  Paper audits are stored in accordance to service policies and procedures.

    

   12.       Freedom to act

   The post holder should:

   • Paper audits are stored in accordance to service policies and procedures.

   ·  Work within the service guidelines and be governed by policies and procedures outlines by the organisation.