Dental Nurse

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)

Do you want to develop your specialist skills within dental work?

Bristol Dental Hospital is a Centre of Excellence providing routine and specialist clinical dental services for the South-West. Committed to delivering exceptional patient care and investing in the development of our staff, we are seeking dedicated and skilled Band 4 Dental Nurses to join our Dental Nursing Team.

Due to recent internal promotions, we have vacancies available in our Adult Dental Health, Child Dental Health, Oral Surgery/ MaxFax and Special care/Oral Medicine departments.

You will be part of the dental nurse service, providing a high standard of care, demonstrating strong clinical dental nursing skills whilst being part of a hard-working and motivated team. You will continue to develop your skills by providing close support to clinical staff and mentoring the student dental nurses during their placements.

Candidates must hold a recognised Dental Nurse Qualification.

Main duties of the job

As a Dental Nurse at UHBW, you will play a vital role in delivering high-quality dental care to our patients. Working closely with our dental professionals, you will ensure the smooth operation of our clinics and contribute to our commitment to improving oral health in the community. This will involve, but is not limited to:

• Monitor and maintain a high standard of cleanliness and infection control in line with current codes of practice and trust policy.
• Provide four-handed dentistry throughout the patient's treatment, anticipating the clinician's needs and any possible complications which may arise, including assisting in the management of medical and dental emergencies.
• Provide clinical support and advice for the dental team.
• Identify each patient's medical, dental, and personal needs within a wide range of treatments and procedures before, during, and after the patient is discharged from the clinic.
• Advise, triage, and prioritise dental emergency patients to ensure they receive the most appropriate care in a timely manner.

About us

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as 'Good' overall, and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston, and beyond. As a forward-thinking multi-award-winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston; join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds: city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce, we aim to recruit and retain a workforce that represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Job responsibilities

For a more detailed job description, main responsibilities, and person specification, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

• National certificate in Dental Nursing or NVQ level 3 Dental Nursing qualification
• Valid GDC registration
• Post registration qualification in Conscious Sedation, Special Care Dentistry, Oral Health Education, Dental Radiography, Implantology, or Orthodontics
• Completion of enhanced dental nurse courses such as fluoride application

Skills and Abilities

• Able to work effectively with others as part of a team
• Ability to work under instruction and show initiative by prioritising and organising workload
• Competent in operating a computer
• Ability to carry out routine/repetitive activities
• Ability to prioritise
• Ability to stand for long periods of time
• Dexterity - ability to handle/manoeuvre equipment/instruments across a wide range of sizes, weights, and environments
• Manual handling - ability to manoeuvre trolleys and instrumentation boxes in line with trust policy

Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of a range of dental nursing work procedures and practices
• Experience of assisting with a diverse range of patients
• Experience of a variety of settings i.e., hospital, community clinic, NHS/Private Practice
• Good communication and interpersonal skills at all levels
• Enthusiastic, highly motivated, and able to inspire others
• Ability to manage self and exhibit skills, including self-awareness, self-management, and drive for improvement
• Analytical
• Personal resilience
• Flexibility e.g. changing rota duties
• Able to use own initiative
• Able to work under pressure to meet deadlines
• Team Player

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.

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)

£26,530 to £29,114 a year or pro rata