Dental Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB PROFILE

Job Title : Registered Dental Nurse

Managed by : Senior Dental Nurse

Accountable to : Operations Director

Job Purpose : To provide dental nurse support when required by the Service and to assist in the full range of dental care provided to patients of the Dental Service.

To support the dental team in the provision of dental care in various settings across Bedfordshire, ie dental departments within Health Centres, acute hospitals, residential homes, and mobile units.

This will include a wide range of treatments for a broad client base which includes children, patients with additional needs, phobics and the elderly.

Key Relationships : Dental Department colleagues, External eg Estates, Supplies, IT

Geographical : The post is clinic based. The post holder may be asked to undertake duties in neighbouring clinics, other CDS geographies and other Health Service establishments when required for holiday or sickness relief or temporary redeployment.

Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Communication & Relationship Skills

• Receive the patient into the department and prepare them for treatment.
• Reassure patients and explain dental procedures especially when there may be communication difficulties.
• Undertake reception duties when required eg greeting patient, answering the telephone, making appointments, explaining patient charges and collecting patient charges.

2. Analytical & Judgemental

• Decide when patients need to be seen urgently.
• Anticipate the operator’s requirements across a broad range of clinical procedures.

3. Planning & Organisational Skills

· Assist the operator in organising the days activities.

· Monitor day lists and appointment diary and update as necessary.

· Prepare the surgery for use at the beginning of the session and clear up at the end of the session.

· Arrange and assist the dentist with routine screenings, epidemiological surveys at schools and other establishments.

· Arrange for the timely supply of materials and laboratory work.

4. Physical Skills

• Prepare filling and impression materials, instruments, equipment, dressings and syringes as requested by the dentist.
• Use equipment such as hand instruments, aspiration equipment, etc, in a manner which minimises the risk of cross infection or soft tissue injury.
• Maintain hand pieces, aspirators and other equipment.
• Process and mount x-ray films.
• Utilise keyboard skills for data entry on dental software programme.

5. Patient/Client Care

· Assist the dental operator/therapist in the provision of dental treatment and to supervise the patient until they are fit to leave the department – including inhalation sedation and general anaesthesia.

• Provide pre and post-operative instructions for patients in agreement with the clinician.
• Accompany the dentist/therapist on domiciliary visits and/or working in a mobile dental unit, and assist them throughout treatment.
• Accompany the dentist on visits for screening, epidemiological surveys and assist throughout the procedures.

6. Policy & Service Development

• Follow and implement clinical policies and procedures to comply with legislation.
• Contribute to policy development.

7. Financial & Physical Resources

· Undertake general clerical duties including dealing with petty cash, the collection/banking of patients’ payments, selling dental aids to the public and to balance all monies received at the end of the day.

• Assist with the ordering of general and pharmaceutical supplies and processing of paperwork for payment.

8. Human Resources

· Demonstrate own activities or workplace routines to new or less experienced employees in own work area.

9. Information Resources

• Record treatment ie includes baseline charting, clinical treatments and periodontal charting from the operator’s instructions. This will involve paper based and computer systems.
• Monitor the completion of National Health Service forms.

10. Research & Development

• Participate in CDS clinical governance programmes and other quality initiatives.

11. Freedom to Act

· Work on own initiative with manager available for reference.

12. Physical Effort

• Sit or stand in a restricted position for a substantial proportion of the working day.
• Carry domiciliary equipment, push x-ray machine, when necessary.

13. Mental Effort

· Remain alert when assisting the dental operator.

14. Emotional Effort

• Deal with patients with additional needs, phobics, children and the elderly.

15. Working Conditions

· Decontaminate and handle instruments often contaminated with blood, saliva and debris.

• Maintain an aseptic working environment throughout, and clear up at the end of the session ensuring that high standards are maintained.

This job profile is not intended to be a complete list of duties and responsibilities, but is a guide to the job and will be subject to periodic review and alteration in response to changing service requirements and in consultation with the post holder.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Good standard of education to GCSE level or equivalent
• National Diploma in Dental Nursing Level 3 or Diploma in Dental Nursing Level 3 or equivalent
• Registered with the General Dental Council

Hours

Essential

• Ability to work flexible hours

General

Essential

• Team Player
• Can Do attitude
• Flexible approach
• Good timekeeper
• Smart appearance
• Friendly, approachable and calm manner

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience working as a dental nurse in a variety of settings
• To demonstrate evidence of Continuing Professional Development

Skills

Essential

• Good communication skills both oral and written
• Good organisation
• Ability to empathise, reassure
• Basic computer skills
• Ability to work on own initiative with manager/clinician available for reference

Desirable

• Familiar with dental software computer package(s)
• Car driver

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

Community Dental Services CIC

Address

Liverpool Road Health Centre

9 Liverpool Road

Luton

LU1 1HH

Employer's website

https://communitydentalservices.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)