Dental Nurse | Medway Community Healthcare CIC

• Do you enjoy working in a team, putting the patient at the heart of what you do?
• Are you passionate about supporting patients with additional needs?

If you answered yes, we’ve got the perfect role for you!

• This is your chance to join a progressive and innovative service in a social enterprise that is patient and staff focused - you’ll even have the opportunity to become an MCH shareholder.
• We encourage staff to get involved in exploring new ways of working and service development, with opportunities for CPD along the way.
• We’ll provide well established, in-service training, one to one supervision, and appraisals with regular support provided by your clinical lead.
• You’ll be able to develop your skills in a friendly and supportive team.

• Work closely with the dentist ensuring the treatment plans are understood so that preparations can take place, following instruction by the dentist as necessary.
• Help maintain patients’ comfort and dignity at all times and give basic advice and reassurance to patients and clients especially where there may be communication difficulties.
• Provide compassion and support to the patient during and after treatments, making them feel at ease.
• Liaise with the receptionist when treatments are more lengthy than anticipated.
• Inform the lead nurse and or administration team of any issues that may arise and have a detrimental effect on service provision.
• Liaise with the lead nurse to improve working procedures.
• Attend all team meetings when necessary to discuss our existing procedures and future plans for service.

• This is your chance to join a progressive and innovative service in a social enterprise that is patient and staff focused - you’ll even have the opportunity to become an MCH shareholder.
• We encourage staff to get involved in exploring new ways of working and service development.
• We’ll provide well established, in-service training, one to one supervision, and appraisals with regular support.
• You’ll be able to develop your skills in a friendly and supportive team.

Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.

• Informal visits can be arranged on request.
• We will offer you the choice of two pension schemes; the NHS Pension scheme and the scottish widows group pension scheme.
• MCH encourages all staff to be double COVID vaccinated to protect themselves, their colleagues, their family and their patients.

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.

1. Knowledge, training and experience

• 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.

1. 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.

1. Planning and organisational skills

• 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.

1. Physical skills

• 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.

1. Responsibility for patient / client care

• 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.

1. Responsibility for policy and service development implementation

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

1. Responsibilities for financial and physical resources

• 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.

1. Responsibilities for human resources (HR)

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

1. Responsibilities for information resources

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

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

• Completion of radiograph audits following service policies and procedures.
• Paper audits are stored in accordance to service policies and procedures.

1. Freedom to act

• 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.

This advert closes on Wednesday 6 Nov 2024