Apprentice Dental Nurse

As an Apprentice Dental Nurse, you’ll support clinicians to deliver a range of high-quality dental treatments and help the smooth running of your surgery and the practice. You will enjoy being part of a team that’s passionate about caring for patients and helping the nation smile. Alongside your role you will achieve a Level 3 in Dental Nursing.

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

You’ll be joining the UK’s leading dental network, delivering high-quality dentistry that makes people smile. We take pride in the investments we make in our people, including support for you to complete your level three apprenticeship via our trusted partner Tempdent and your ongoing professional development.

Requirements

• Support clinicians to deliver high-quality dental treatments
• Assist in the smooth running of surgery and practice
• Achieve a Level 3 in Dental Nursing qualification
• Learn on the job with hands-on experience
• Complete specialist training as part of the apprenticeship
• Study to gain professional knowledge and skills
• Obtain valid consent from patients
• Record accurate and contemporaneous patient history
• Accurately record dental charting
• Accurately record an oral health assessment
• Prepare records, images, equipment and materials for clinical assessment
• Process and manage dental radiographs and images
• Manage patient anxiety appropriately, effectively, and safely
• Monitor, support, and reassure patients through effective communication and behavioural techniques
• Identify changes in patient’s reported oral health status and take appropriate action
• Make arrangements for follow-up care as prescribed by the operator
• Provide chairside support to the operator during treatment
• Prepare, mix, and handle dental materials
• Identify and explain risks within and around the clinical environment and manage these safely and effectively
• Implement, perform, and manage effective decontamination and infection control procedures
• Prepare and maintain the clinical environment including instruments and equipment
• Identify, assess, and manage medical emergencies
• Provide patients/carers with comprehensive, personalised preventive advice, instruction, and intervention
• Support the management of patients with acute oral conditions
• Adopt an evidence-based approach to clinical practice
• Communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, including those whose first language is not English, using interpreters where necessary, and in relation to patients with anxious or challenging behaviour or special considerations
• Communicate effectively and sensitively with the public
• Communicate effectively with colleagues from dental and other healthcare professions
• Maintain contemporaneous, complete, and accurate patient records
• Communicate with care, compassion, empathy, and respect
• Communicate appropriately and effectively in professional discussions and transactions
• Give feedback effectively to other team members
• Respect the roles of dental and other healthcare professionals
• Demonstrate effective team working
• Contribute to team in providing dental care for patients
• Manage, refer, or delegate work according to scope of practice
• Take a patient-centred approach to working with the dental and wider healthcare team
• Raise concerns about own or others’ health, behaviour, or professional performance
• Comply with systems and processes to support safe patient care
• Act in accordance with current best practice guidelines
• Act in accordance with national and local clinical governance and health and safety requirements
• Act within legal frameworks
• Act with integrity
• Demonstrate personal accountability
• Work in partnership to develop and maintain a safe and supportive environment
• Lead, manage, and take professional responsibility for actions of colleagues where appropriate
• Support patients to negotiate barriers to accessing oral healthcare
• Treat patients, the public, and colleagues with dignity and respect without discrimination
• Support patients to make informed decisions about their care
• Demonstrate cultural competence
• Act as an advocate for patient needs where appropriate
• Speak up to protect others from harm
• Evaluate the effectiveness of evidence-based prevention
• Address discriminatory language, behaviour, and microaggressions
• Evaluate the role of health promotion
• Evaluate and apply evidence base in relation to environmental impacts of treatment methods
• Contribute positively to healthcare communities
• Evaluate an evidence base
• Utilise feedback for professional development
• Demonstrate personal development planning, recording of evidence, and reflective practice
• Evaluate the impact of new techniques and technologies
• Assess own capabilities and limitations and seek advice when appropriate
• Recognise and manage personal assumptions, biases, and prejudices
• Recognise and manage the impact of contextual factors on patient safety
• Demonstrate professional responsibility in self-development
• Develop and maintain professional knowledge and competence
• Demonstrate engagement with strategies that promote and maintain wellbeing
• Demonstrate appropriate continuous improvement activities
• Recognise when and how to take action if wellbeing is compromised
• Effectively manage own time and resources
• Underpin all patient care with a preventive approach