Band 5 Senior Dental Nurse Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust

The post holder will be required to work in the Specialist clinical disciplines of Orthodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial surgery, and ENT.

To organise the efficient running of new patient and review clinics in Orthodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial surgery and assist in ENT Outpatients.

To provide chair side nursing assistance in Orthodontic operative procedures, assist surgeons in Oral and Maxillofacial minor oral surgery operations, and assist in prosthetic and dental procedures in the fields of Orthodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial surgery, including rehabilitation prosthetics following cancer surgery.

During surgery the Dental Nurse will assist surgeons with specialised procedures, preparing and decontaminating instruments, handling fine tools, providing patients with pre- and post-operative care.

To supervise trainee and unqualified staff as required in the department.

To work within codes of practice and professional guidelines.

To be accountable for own professional actions under General Dental Council guidelines.

To ensure effective contribution to the delivery of the organisation’s objectives.

Key Working Relationships

• Consultant Surgeons
• Consultant Oncologists
• Specialist Registrars
• Trust Fellows
• Clinical Assistants
• Senior House Officers
• Dental Therapist/Hygienist
• Head and Neck Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Macmillan Speech Therapists
• Dietician
• Associated Nursing Team

Clinical Responsibilities

The dental nurse will assist the surgeon with specialised programmes of care i.e. surgical and non-surgical interventions.

The dental nurse will be responsible for preparing the clinic and the necessary instrumentation for specialised procedures without direct supervision.

The dental nurse will also be responsible for:

1. Requesting necessary laboratory tests as per clinical protocol.
2. Providing patient information and advice for their specific clinical procedure.
3. Application of prescribed dressings by clinician.
4. Preparation of intra- and extra-oral dressing packs e.g. White head’s varnish wick; Coe-pak.
5. Preparation silicone impression material for obturator patients.
6. Instructing Oral hygiene and dietary advice to patients and carers.
7. To undertake daily duties without direct supervision with Registered General Nurse available for advice as necessary.
8. Freedom to organise own workload within the confines of allocated routine daily clinic schedules.
9. To anticipate events during patient’s treatments and prepare instruments and materials as appropriate and to ensure safe and effective clinical practice.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is an integrated Trust and the only provider of NHS acute care in Walsall, serving a population of 284,300, providing inpatient and outpatient services at the Manor Hospital as well as a wide range of services in the community. Walsall Manor houses the full range of district general hospital services under one roof. The £170 million development was completed in 2010 and the continued upgrading of existing areas ensures the Trust now has a state-of-the-art Critical Care Unit, Neonatal Unit, Obstetric Theatre, and Integrated Assessment Unit facilities.

A new Urgent Emergency Care Centre was opened in March 2023. The two-storey development has significantly improved emergency care facilities and capacity and has provided almost 5,000 square metres of additional clinical space.

Administrative Responsibilities

Preparation of daily clinics by providing the necessary instrumentation, materials, equipment, pathology reports, laboratory work, radiographs, and scans to ensure that a seamless service is provided to the patient.

To maintain records within clinics. Collating, filing and storage of patient study model boxes and patient photographs.

Completion of clinic coding for the department and the Trust.

Giving clinical advice regarding patient enquiries in person and by telephone.

Write and develop local clinical practices and procedures for Maxillofacial and Orthodontics.

To participate in the development of information leaflets for the department.

Co-ordinate packages of care for patients with departmental technical staff.

To monitor and maintain stock levels within the department and liaise with the senior sister outpatients Manager for authorisation.

Technical Responsibilities

To comply with local, trust and national policies and procedures.

To disassemble and clean specialised dental units.

To be able to perform basic maintenance and simple fault finding on specialist equipment.

Research and Development Responsibilities

Participates in departmental audit as necessary relevant to own work, e.g. hand washing etc.

Attending courses and conferences for the purposes of personal development.

Communication and Relationships

Liaise with a wide range of specialities outside of the Trust including Medical and Dental practitioners other Trusts and Agencies, for patient treatments/appointments etc.

Communication with patients and carers who may have barriers to understanding e.g. children, learning disabilities, chaperoned prisoners, dental phobic patients, patients in pain and distress and patients where English is not a first language.

To enhance the patient’s experience during their care and treatment within the clinical setting.

Physical, Mental and Emotional Demands

The post holder can be subject to emotional and stressful situations in offering support to patients and their relatives with the following:

• Reassuring and providing simple care instructions following a range of complex clinical procedures.
• Support anxious or upset patients or carers.
• Offering support to nervous or confused patients.
• Offering support to children and teenagers.
• Offering support to patients with congenital facial deformities and disfigurements following trauma injuries or facial surgery.
• Dealing with people who are verbally aggressive.

Mental demands include handling and passing very small components during specialist procedures, working with speed, accuracy, and dexterity, multi-tasking during high levels of clinical activity, and changing priorities quickly and effectively to deal with urgent situations.

Education

To demonstrate work of Dental Nurse to General Nurse Students.

Assisting in the training and development of new staff members.

This advert closes on Tuesday 1 Apr 2025.