Specialist Dental Nurse
| Posting date: | 29 December 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £27,485.00 to £30,162.00 per year |
| Additional salary information: | £27485.00 - £30162.00 a year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 06 January 2026 |
| Location: | Stafford, ST16 3SA |
| Company: | NHS Jobs |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | C9205-25-2011 |
Summary
Report departmental issues to clinic manager Develop good communications and fair and clear relationships with staff cross the multi-disciplinary team. Attend regular staff meetings to review standards of practice and ensure dissemination of information. Record meeting minutes, logs and agenda. Communicate with all grades of staff regarding patient care. In so doing provide and receive complex or sensitive information relating to planned or received treatment. Liaise between clinician, technician, patient and external agencies to arrange appropriate appointments. Record timely and accurate information on patient medical records. Effectively communicate with patients and their relatives. This is essential where there are barriers to communication e.g. patients whose first language is not English, nervous, aggressive or poorly patients, patients with language or learning difficulties or disabilities. In these cases, further liaison with the translation services, parents or carers are imperative. Provide reassurance and to show empathy to patients in situations which are frequently stressful. Motivate patients to ensure compliance with complex and frequently lengthy courses of treatment. Explain dental procedures to patients and answer any queries the patients may have regarding their treatment. Be able to receive information regarding patients conditions always ensuring confidentiality. Participate in the development and maintenance of programmes of care in line with Policies and Procedures. Provide a continuing high standard of nursing care through direct clinical practice in relation to the groups of patients cared for by the department . Hold the National Certificate in Dental Nursing or equivalent NVQ3 in dental nursing and be registered with the GDC. Maintain continual professional development. Ensure compliance with Trust statutory and mandatory training related to individual compliance requirements. To be prepared to undertake any formal or informal training required to fulfil the needs of the post. Nurse for complex treatments in Orthodontics, Restorative, Oral Medicine and Oral Maxillofacial Surgery and multidisciplinary clinics. To Nurse and support in Staffordshire Treatment Suite, Theatres and Poswillo suite for General and Local anaesthetic procedures. In addition, many of the patients attending the hospital for care have been referred because of difficult /unstable medical conditions, the senior dental nurse is required to assist in the management of these patients and be able to respond appropriately to emergencies arising because of the patient's condition. Hold or work towards gaining a certificate in Impression taking and Intra Oral scanning and clinical photography. Competent and trained in Trusts IT systems. Act as a resource to other areas providing education and advice relevant to the speciality as required. Keep abreast of clinical development. Under the supervision of the Clinic Manager educate and assist in the training of all staff groups in the effective use of equipment, maintaining up to date records of attendance. To take every reasonable opportunity to maintain and improve your professional knowledge and competence and participate in personal objective setting and review. To actively participate in the education and training of all members of the nursing team, visiting students, patients and their carers. Under the supervision of the Clinic Manager assist in the development of enhanced/advanced nursing specific to the speciality, developing own clinical skills as necessary. Analytical & Judgemental Skills Anticipate the needs of members of staff and prepare all surgeries and instruments appropriately for complex dental procedures. Be able to analyse the working area regarding the security of the equipment stored there and assess if extra precautions are needed. Use their own judgment regarding health and safety to assess the working area and report any hazards immediately. Diagnose equipment faults and liaise with engineering staff to ensure that repairs are undertaken quickly. In such cases contingency arrangements must be made immediately to ensure that patient treatment can proceed as planned. Understand the principles and importance of quality control and quality assurance and the use of appropriate measures. Planning & Organisational Skills Manage their own day-to-day activities such as planning and organising clinics, joint appointments with other departments and hospitals. Planning and organising multi-disciplinary activities with other professions and agencies. Liaise with the laboratory regarding timescales for patients work to be completed and then arrange appointments accordingly. Be able to plan ahead in order to ensure the notes and instruments required are available for each session. Organise their workload making allowances for frequent telephone interruptions to deal with patient enquiries and unplanned clinician led alterations to planned treatment which may prevent the completion of planned work. Maintain adequate supplies, ensuring their efficient and effective use. Check the clinics at the beginning of each session so that stock levels of materials and equipment are maintained. Ensure all equipment is in safe working order and regularly checked and maintained. Physical Skills Manipulate a wide range of dental materials. Handle, transfer, assemble and dismantle all types of dental equipment during patients treatment. This may be in a close support environment, which will require long periods sitting or standing in a confined position while assisting at chair-side. Prepare surgical instrument kits. Prepare equipment for phlebotomy and cannulation using an aseptic technique. Develop physical skills over a period of time and through relevant experience e.g. the use of some fine tools and dental equipment. Advanced skills are required for sensory hand eye coordination when assisting during fourhanded dentistry as this involves the safe exchange and handling of dental instruments. The dental nurse may frequently be required to manoeuvre patients in confined spaces using wheelchairs, trolleys and hoists. Responsibility for Patient/Client Care Clinical verbal advice to patients/carers/relatives, i.e. pre/post-operative instructions. These require personalisation for each patient's unique situation/condition. Continuous monitoring of patients throughout their dental treatment, and afterwards where appropriate, e.g. difficult procedures. Care and reassurance to the patients during treatment, ensuring they are comfortable and informed throughout. Clinical advice to patients/carers/relatives either in person (Oral Hygiene instruction, pre and post-operative instructions), or over the telephone (patients ringing for emergency advice). They will also be available to answer patient's questions regarding their treatment/care plan. Conduct nurse led clinics under direct supervision when training or working towards attaining band 5 level qualifications (see job specs) in Oral Health Education or Dental Nurse Radiography. Educating patients/carers in oral health, pre-op assessments, advice regarding symptom management of TMJ and post operative treatments. Responsible for organising patient appointments, and where necessary for liaison with wards and other departments to ensure good quality patient care. At the end of each session dental nurses have the responsibility of ensuring patients are safely and appropriately discharged and the clinical areas are secured, this includes the safe storage of emergency drugs, controlled drugs and equipment. Responsibility for Policy/Service Development Work at both Trust sites where necessary to provide a continued and improved service provision to patients. Adhere to all Trust policies e.g. Cross Infection Control, Risk assessments, Health and Safety, COSHH, reporting accidents/incidents etc. The post holder may be asked to contribute to hospital polices when necessary. To observe the hospital Infection control policy and follow strict guidelines regarding sterilisation of instruments and equipment. Dealing with decontamination, waste and spillages correctly according to C.O.S.H.H regulations. Understand the physical effects of radiation and the need to ensure radiation protection of all individuals in the immediate work environment at all times. Provide written information for patients and carers in line with Trust policies. In conjunction with the clinic manager and clinical team work to ensure that guidelines of clinical practice and standards of care are developed, implemented and audited in order to maintain the highest standard. Maintain custody of drugs, checking and witnessing the administration of drugs according to Trust policy. Participate in and contribute to the effective implementation of Clinic Risk management within all clinic areas. Wound and dressing management in accordance with tissue viability policies. On attaining or working towards attaining band 5 level (see job specs) assess, develop and implement radiography procedures, according to IR(ME)R regulations and policies i.e. Identification, justification.