Dental Triage Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Title: Dental Triage Nurse

Service Area: Clinical Assessment & Booking Service (CABS)

Shifts Available:

• Monday 08.00-12.00
• Monday 16.00-20.30
• Tuesday 09.00-12.00
• Tuesday 17.30-21.30
• Wednesday 07.00-14.00
• Wednesday 18.00-00.00
• Thursday 18.00-22.00
• Friday 08.00-16.00
• Friday 09.30-14.30
• Friday 12.00-18.00
• Friday 18.00-22.00
• Friday 18.00-00.00
• Friday 07.30-13.00 (alternate weeks)
• Friday 07.00-12.00 (alternate weeks)
• Saturday 08.00-18.00
• Saturday 18.00-22.00
• Saturday 18.00-00.00
• Saturday 12.00-16.00 (alternate weeks)
• Sunday 14.00-18.00 (alternate weeks)
• Sunday 14.00-22.00 (alternate weeks)
• Sunday 18.00-22.00

Base location: Unit 2, Bradley and/or Lexicon House, Leeds

Line Manager: CABs Manager

Professionally Accountable to: Dental Clinical Director

Job Purpose:

• To respond to dental patient calls transferred from NHS 111 in a professional and timely manner, in line with all relevant protocols/procedures and key performance indicators for the service.

• To provide evidence based clinical assessment, prioritisation and advice over the telephone working within clinical capabilities and competencies and in line with the NHS Pathways Dental Module.
• To identify those patients appropriate to be booked into an urgent dental care appointment and prioritise need when booking into an appointment, taking into account patient circumstances/preferences as appropriate.
• To ensure that patients are given correct information relating to exemption from payment of dental charges.
• To ensure that patients who are not appropriate to be booked into an urgent dental care appointment are provided with relevant information regarding self-care and/or finding a regular dentist using the Directory of Services (DOS) and/or the NHS Choices website.
• To strive to improve performance and quality as needed, in line with Local Care Direct (LCD) clinical governance and performance review policies/procedures.

Responsibilities and duties:

1. Clinical

• Assess clinical risk on behalf of dental patients as part of an initial telephone-based assessment.
• Undertake an assessment using approved clinical assessment tools plus evidence-based protocols and guidelines together with professional judgement.
• Identify promptly any patient with an apparent medical need and effect a prompt warm transfer to the NHS 111 Integrated Urgent Care provider.
• Ensure that any patient who may have taken an excess of pain relief medication is dealt with appropriately and that such patient is passed for medical assessment promptly.
• Process calls whilst providing a professional, courteous and efficient telephone service consistent with standards/protocols specified for telephone triage in respect of patients seeking assistance via NHS 111.
• Triage all calls effectively, giving appropriate self-care or other advice as necessary.
• Use critical thinking and effective communication skills to assess patient need, taking account of relevant cultural, social and economic factors in a respectful and non-judgemental manner.
• Identify and use appropriate information sources to support and underpin clinical decision making.
• Aim to book a patient with an emergency or urgent dental care disposition into an appropriate and timely dental appointment, taking account of individual patient circumstances plus their access to a regular dentist.
• For patients not eligible for an urgent dental care appointment, or where there is no appointment readily available, provide appropriate self-care advice as needed ensuring that patients have a safe and consistent outcome together with information on how to find a regular dentist if necessary.
• Accept responsibility and accountability for managing own workload, risk assessment and risk management, whilst also working effectively as a team member.
• Provide reliable clinical advice that is based on current evidence and best practice.
• Conclude the episode to the satisfaction of the patient or their representative.
• Document accurate and contemporaneous records of telephone triage outcomes.

2. Personal

• Show evidence of effective decision making.
• Manage time and resources effectively and appropriately.
• Communicate effectively with patients/their representatives and other agencies as required.
• Develop effective interpersonal relationships with others in the CABS team.
• Demonstrate effective performance within a team environment.
• Develop own skills/competencies through education, training and development activities relating to current and future demands of the role or when requested to do so.
• Be prepared to work on a flexible basis as required to assist in service delivery.

3. Quality

• Provide a safe and effective service, meeting key performance indicators as appropriate.
• Understand and observe professional and national guidelines on confidentiality.
• Use professional knowledge, skills and experience to the maximum benefit of the caller.
• Work as a member of the CABS team to improve performance and quality.
• Participate in organisational clinical governance and performance review procedures.

4. Communication

• Manage calls in a professional and reassuring manner adapted to individual need, using tact and empathy across a range of calls some of which will be challenging due to emotive circumstances or caller aggression.
• Utilise translation services where language barriers are present or other relevant means of communication for non hearing patients.

• Utilise communication skills to negotiate with and provide support to patients who are non- compliant with the assessment outcome.
• Actively communicate with the Shift Supervisor and other CABS team members, plus other agencies as necessary, to assist service delivery.

5. Education, Training and Development

• Demonstrate a broad understanding of the NHS and in particular the NHS 111 patient pathway plus key performance indicators relating to CABS.
• Attend mandatory/other relevant training courses and ensure ongoing awareness of relevant clinical or other service updates.
• Take responsibility and accountability for own professional development and performance, maintaining a portfolio in accordance with General Dental Council registration requirements to demonstrate personal & professional development/achievements.
• Identify personal/professional developmental needs in line with service requirements and agree periodic objectives with the relevant clinical manager.
• Participate in regular performance review of progress/achievements and identify areas of need for professional development to meet service and personal objectives.
• Support new dental triage nurses in their development and participate in training and supervision as required, to help new staff develop and achieve role competencies.

6. General

• To be willing to work flexibly to support the needs of the service.
• At all times to carry out duties and responsibilities in line with LCD policies: Confidentiality; Data Protection Act; Equal Opportunities; Health & Safety.
• To inform senior colleagues of any factors affecting service delivery at the time that an issue is highlighted and take any necessary action as a result.
• To undertake any other duties, role and responsibilities commensurate with the nature and grading of the post or as reasonably requested.

7. Safeguarding

• All individuals have a duty of care to children and vulnerable adults that they come into contact with whilst at work to safeguard and promote their welfare and to work to prevent, recognise, respond, appropriately refer and record potential neglect or abuse, adhering to LCD Safeguarding Children and Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults policies and procedures. To provide remote clinical assessment and deliver a high standard of safe patient care in line with National Quality Requirements.

Note: the above job description is not intended to be exhaustive. Therefore the duties and responsibilities associated with the Dental Triage Nurse role may vary over time according to the changing needs of the service.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a primary or secondary dental care setting.
• Evidence of continuing personal/ professional development.

Desirable

• Experience of telephone triage.
• Experience of using NHS Pathways and DOS.
• Experience of working in an urgent dental care or Community Dental Service setting.

Qualifications

Essential

• Dental Nurse or other Dental Professional.
• Currently registered with the General Dental Council.
• At least 5 years post registration experience.

Desirable

• Additional qualifications relevant to primary dental care.

Knowledge/ Skills

Essential

• Effective communication skills: verbal, written and non-verbal.
• Good assessment & decision-making skills.
• Self-motivated team worker.
• Understanding of primary and secondary dental care services.
• Able to manage time and workload in order to meet performance standards.
• Good keyboard/PC skills.
• Conflict Resolution skills

Desirable

• Aware of impact of change on self, the team and the service.
• Up-to-date knowledge of health agenda (local and national).
• Understanding of how to deal with difficult or vulnerable patients.
• Previous experience in relation to the NHS 111 dental patient pathway.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Local Care Direct

Address

Unit 2, Longbow Close

Bradley

Huddersfield

HD2 1GQ

Employer's website

https://www.localcaredirect.org/ (Opens in a new tab)