Senior Dental Nurse

Integrated Care System; Bristol; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare trust in Bristol seeks a fully qualified Senior Dental Nurse for a 24-month position in the Oral Surgery department. The role includes supervising student nurses and providing comprehensive dental care, as well as undertaking clinical audits and contributing to practice improvements. Ideal candidates will possess strong teamwork, communication skills, and relevant qualifications.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified Senior Dental Nurse required.
• Experience in supervising and training NVQ Level 3 student dental nurses.
• Valid GDC registration is essential.

Responsibilities

• Supervise, train, and assess student dental nurses.
• Provide senior-level dental nursing care for oral surgery patients.
• Participate in clinical and environmental audits.

Skills

Communication

Teamwork

Manual handling

Dexterity

Analytical skills

Resilience

Flexibility

Initiative

Education

National Diploma in Dental Nursing

Post registration qualification in Conscious Sedation or similar

Job description

Go back University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)

Senior Dental Nurse

The closing date is 29 July 2025

We are looking for a fully qualified Senior Dental Nurse to join the Dental team in Oral Surgery and Max Fax outpatient department for 24 months. You will work Monday -Friday carrying out a full range of dental nursing duties and provide senior-level dental nursing care for a wide range of patients undergoing oral surgery. The successful candidate will also be responsible for prepping clinical notes, communicating effectively via telephone and face to face with patients and their relatives/carers.

Main duties of the job

A key aspect of your role will be to supervise, train and clinically assess student dental nurses undertaking NVQ Level 3 /NEBDN dental nursing qualification, acting as a role model and mentor. You will contribute to the development of practice/procedure within your designated service to improve quality, safety and patient experience. Additionally, you will participate in clinical and environmental audits (i.e., infection control), and undertake a link nurse role. In the absence of the Dental Nurse Manager, you will provide day-to day management of your designated dental service and be able to work flexibly across other dental services, including those delivered in satellite centres within the community.

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 which 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

Knowledge and Experience

• o Enhanced knowledge of a range of dental nursing procedures (E)
• o Experience of assisting with a diverse range of patients (E)
• o Experience of a variety of settings i.e., hospital, community clinic, NHS/Private Practice (D)
• o Experience of being part of a quality improvement project and understanding the underpinning principles (D)

Skills and Abilities

• o Able to work effectively with others as part of a team (E)
• o Ability to work under instruction and show initiative by prioritising and organising workload (E)
• o Competent in operating a computer (E)
• o Good communication and interpersonal skills (E)
• o Ability to carry out routine/repetitive activities (E)
• o Ability to prioritise (E)
• o Ability to stand for long periods of time (E)
• o Dexterity - ability to handle/manoeuvre equipment/instruments across a wide range of sizes, weights and environments (E)
• o Manual handling - ability to manoeuvre trolleys and instrumentation boxes in line with trust policy (E)
• o Able to work autonomously (E)
• o Enthusiastic, highly motivated, and able to inspire others (E)
• o Ability to manage self and exhibit skills, including self-awareness, self- management, and drive for improvement (E)
• o Analytical (E)
• o Personal resilience (E)
• o Flexibility (E)
• o Able to use own initiative (E)
• o Able to work under pressure to meet deadlines (E)
• o Team player (E)

Qualifications and Training

• o National Diploma in Dental Nursing (or equivalent Level 3 Dental Nursing qualification) (E) o
• o Valid GDC registration (E)
• o Post registration qualification in Conscious Sedation, Special Care Dentistry, Oral Health Education, Dental Radiography, Implantology or Orthodontics (E)
• o Completion of enhanced dental nurse courses such as fluoride application (D)

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)