Dental Nurse B5

Job responsibilities

Managerial/Leadership

Assist and support the Dental Nurse Team Manager to ensure an efficient and effective high quality service at local level throughout their designated Sector

Assist the Dental Nurse Team Manager in ensuring staffing levels and skill mix within the team are adequate

Accept delegated responsibilities from the Dental Nurse Team Manager including staff appraisal and personal development planning

Coordination and production of clinical staff timetables/schedules/rosters, by providing staff/clinic information on request to the Dental Nurse Team Manager

Assist in the coordination and monitoring annual leave for all dental staff

Delegated responsibility for managing the performance of dental nurses/admin support at local level within their designated Sector e.g. Appraisals, Personal Development review, Sickness Absence review/management, Welcome Back to Work interviews - Reporting back to the Dental Nurse Team Manager

Responsible as local Senior Team Leader for dental nurses and admin support staff

Monitor and report the attendance of all dental staff and produce/complete any necessary forms, reports etc.

Provide accurate data on request for performance monitoring reports, and waiting list management

Oversee maintenance of all clinics equipment, initiate repairs as necessary and liaise with suppliers within budget and using the contracts set in place

Handling cash/cheques from patients. Maintain accurate records of monies banked.

Ensuring the highest standards are maintained in the clinics and other sites where dental care is delivered. Keeping up to date with modern practice and encouraging innovation.

Support the Dental Nurse Team Manager in managing the clinic resources, ensuring the most cost effective delivery of service within defined budgetary constraints and targets

Delegated responsibilities for maintenance of stock control/ordering.

Research, cost and purchase of dental supplies on a frequent basis for daily service delivery need

To deputise/represent for the Dental Nurse Team Manager if and when necessary, e.g. Annual Leave/Sickness Absence, multi-disciplinary meetings/forums

Clinical

Maintain GDC registration and keep professional CPD up to date

Fulfil the role of a lead dental nurse providing clinical support in specialist dental care delivery e.g. General Anaesthetic, Conscious Sedation and any other clinical procedures that have no margin for error and require good hand eye coordination. The clinical work requires the post holder to work with children and adults with special needs, including socially excluded/ vulnerable groups.

To act as a role model to dental nursing team, highlighting and disseminating good practice

Monitoring of patients using specific equipment during specialist treatment e.g. Sedation, General Anaesthesia

Preparation of dental surgery and other sites for use, and decontamination at the end of the session. Maintaining the highest level of infection prevention and control, following the Trusts Infection Prevention and Control policy, Department of Health HTM01-05 Decontamination in Primary Dental Care, and any other standard operating procedures

Have competent and relevant knowledge/experience to handle routine equipment for treatment of patients e.g. endodontic/surgical equipment, sedation equipment

Manipulation of complex items of clinical equipment prior to and during treatment e.g. preparation of dental materials, dressings, instruments and load syringes etc

Preparation and maintenance of dental equipment and instruments

Preparation of dental materials for use in the dental surgery, following COSHH regulations

Decontamination and sterilisation of dental equipment and instruments. Ensuring that equipment and instruments are handled in accordance to HTM01-05 requirements.

Carry out daily safety checks/ tests on dental equipment e.g. Monitoring and recording of autoclave and washer disinfector function

Processing of radiographs, under guidance of Local Rules and IRMER. Maintenance of x-ray developing processes. Disposal of spent x-ray solutions in the correct method, when appropriate, following COSHH regulations and the Trust policy.

Assessment of the needs of individual patients and offer appropriate advice. Prioritise emergencies

Provision of oral health information and advice to patients, parents and carers when required. Oral hygiene instruction e.g. tooth brushing instruction to patients and parents/carers, dosage advice regarding fluoride supplements.

Provision of advice regarding pain management, pre and post-operative instructions relating to extractions, sedation and G.A instructions, and care of orthodontic appliance

Ensure a safe working environment for self, colleagues, and patients following the Trusts policy and procedures

Ensuring the safe transport of equipment and instruments when driving/ travelling between clinics/ other sites following the Trusts policies

Strict adherence to health/safety rules to minimise clinical and non - clinical risk

Policy and Service Development Role

Implement policies and standard operating procedures within designated Sector.

Facilitate service improvement and identify good practice locally and nationally, and ensure this is shared and implemented as appropriate within own Sector.

Participate in the opportunities for seeking patient / client feedback to inform continuous service improvement (i.e., setting up comments box, circulating client questionnaires/feedback forms).

Training and Education

To assist the Dental Nurse Team Manager in ensuring compliance of all staff to mandatory training in accordance with the Trusts policy.

Maintain an extensive knowledge and understanding of the dental equipment on sites and the ability to problem solve and develop contingency plans as appropriate.

Support the clinical team by ensuring compliance of the highest possible standards of Infection Control, decontamination and Health & Safety procedures to ensure compliance by all staff.

Provision and participation in the training of staff.

Provide induction training programmes to new starters.

Participation in mandatory training sessions for Basic Life Support & CPR (which includes training in the use of heart defibrillators), Infection Prevention & Control, Manual Handling & Risk Assessment, Fire, Health & Safety etc.

Clinical Governance, Research and Audit

Take active lead roles in service area e.g. Clinical Governance, Clinical Networks, Infection prevention & control.

To facilitate regular peer review meetings, initiate audits as required and deliver training as appropriate to the dental nursing team and monitor the quality assurance programme.

Participate in clinical governance, audit, regular training sessions, and staff meetings.

Communication

To work proactively and effectively and communicate with the Dental Nurse Team Manager in aspects of service delivery, standards and initiatives. To initiate dialogue with them regarding relevant issues, relating to patients/clients and/or service delivery or provision, and to use effective communication and negotiating skills to achieve positive outcomes.

To assist the Dental Nurse Team Manager in establishing and implementing an effective communication system throughout the clinics, enabling staff participation in Community Dental network business.

Persuasive skills will be required when encouraging staff to adopt specific procedures and protocols. Motivational skills will be required when encouraging team working and development.

Freedom to Act

Works within wide range of dental procedures and professional scope of practice in accordance with General Dental Council standards, policies and procedures.

Provide management cover for other team leaders when required.

Effort

To respond to an intense working environment by maintaining sensitivity to patient and staff needs.

To deal sensitively with patients who have high levels of anxiety due to pain, complex and sensitive medical histories, learning disabilities and phobia to necessitate treatment requirements. Occasional exposure to verbal and physical aggression.

Frequent unpleasant conditions whilst carrying out clinical role, e.g. blood, saliva.

Occasional exposure to highly unpleasant conditions e.g. vomit.

Occasionally working in poor and unsuitable premises/environments, encountering physical hazards such as poor lighting, restricted space, high noise levels, dust and exposure to secondary smoke, e.g domiciliary visits.

Working in highly complex environments where conflict may occur, dealing with challenging people with differences of opinion.

Exposure to emotional/ distressing scenarios.

To travel to community sites using the most convenient, efficient and cost effective form.

Skills & Attributes

Essential

• Leadership skills.
• Understanding of team working.
• Through understanding of decontamination in primary dental care
• Excellent communication
• & interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of Clinical Governance.
• Ability to motivate others
• Confident in dealing with the public.
• Ability to work calmly with patients who have problems (dental emergencies, complaints about the service).
• Self starter.
• Ability to work alone with minimal supervision.
• Able to use own initiative and judgement
• IT and keyboard skills

Desirable

• Knowledge of a broad range of polices related to NHS dental services
• Experience of electronic patient records systems e.g. Dentally

Skills & Attributes

Essential

• The ability to travel independently across the Trust
• The ability to work flexibly in accordance with service needs
• Working Conditions:
• Frequent exposure to bodily fluids e.g. blood, saliva.
• Frequent contact with patients with significant physical and mental disabilities.
• Contact with patients with challenging behaviours.
• Dealing with staff and patient conflicts.
• Exposure to secondary smoking when visiting patient homes.
• Physical Effort:
• Frequent requirement for sitting/standing in restricted position.
• Manual handling skills required when moving patients, heavy bags, bulky equipment, moving stock orders.
• Mental Effort:
• Ability to maintain concentration during periods of assistance to Dental Clinicians and patients.
• Problem solving.
• Emotional Effort:
• Ability to remain calm & reassuring during difficult situations in the dental surgery, and other sites.
• Non-judgemental, good listening skills when handling staff problems.
• Confidentiality.
• Diplomacy.
• Freedom to Act:
• Able to act independently within scope of responsibility.
• Ability to manage own work; work is managed rather than supervised.

Sponsorship

Essential

• Do you have the right to stay and work in the UK without sponsorship (share-codes will be checked if applicable)

Qualifications

Essential

• NEBDN National qualification for Dental Nursing or NVQ in Oral Health Care Dental Nursing level III
• Registered with General Dental Council as a Registered Dental Nurse
• Evidence of CPD

Desirable

• Additional Dental Nursing qualification in a specialist area. e.g. Sedation, Oral Health Promotion, Special Care Dentistry,
• Radiography

Relationships

Essential

• If you are related to a director, or have a relationship with a director or employee of an appointing organisation, please state the relationship:

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable team leading/supervisory role experience
• Wide variety of dental nursing experience.
• Previous Community dental service experience
• Knowledge and understanding of a range of dental equipment, instrumentation and materials.

Desirable

• Proven supervisory and management experience
• Experience of the selection and recruitment of staff
• Stock control and maintenance. Ordering experience e.g. SBS or NHS systems

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

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