Reflective Report on Dental Nursing Practice, Supervision, and Growth

This report delves into the multifaceted role of a trainee dental nurse, emphasizing reflective practice, patient-centered care, and professional development. It explores the importance of supervision, encompassing formal and informal methods, and the impact of constructive feedback o...Read More

DENTAL-3

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
Reflective as a Trainee Dental Nurse..........................................................................................1
2. Aspects to be prioritized..........................................................................................................1
3. Examples of different kinds of supervision and support: .......................................................1
4. Reflective on constructive feedback to develop practice........................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................2
1. Purpose and benefits...............................................................................................................2
2...................................................................................................................................................2
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................3
3. .................................................................................................................................................3
4. Personal Development Log(PDI) .........................................................................................3

TASK 1
Reflective as a Trainee Dental Nurse
I have a key role in providing assistance and support to all the dentistry branches like
general practice and community dental services. However, the basic criteria in performing tasks
is to control the decontamination while performing tasks. Moreover, I also fit in at wider
healthcare team through handling the dental materials, giving support in administrative tasks etc.
Personally I learned about few techniques to help my patients and it involves relaxation
techniques, behavior management techniques, Jacobsen's progressive muscular relaxation and
more. These assisted me to gain insights regarding their recovery levels and helped me in
improving my communication skills. It supported me to build rapport and trust with my
colleagues and other professionals to provide patient centered care.
2. Aspects to be prioritised
I felt that the focus is on patient centered care that sometimes our needs get ignored and
the amount of burden is tiresome. Moreover, it is important that the communication skills must
be made better through training and conducting one to one interactive sessions. This would ease
the entire procedure more effective and patients would be encouraged to ask queries and acquire
their confidence. Additionally, this would change the way dentists work and help in avoiding any
false reassurances or ambiguity associated with it.
3. Examples of different kinds of supervision and support:
Formal: Direct supervision- Personal diagnostics and conducting procedures by allied personnel
Informal: General supervision- Taking X rays
Provided from within your organization: Indirect supervision-Giving authorization for
conducting procedures and diagnostics
Personal supervision- Dentist operating on patient or personnel authorizing supportive procedure
Provided from outside your organization: Public Health supervision- Giving qualitative dental
services under state law and regulations
4. Reflective on constructive feedback to develop practice
Verbal feedback: This helps in direct communication with the employees, personnel, patients and
others. It helps in collecting data and information about several aspects of the practice. Whereas
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it is time consuming process and lacks reliability and validity factors with respect to the collected
data and information.
Written feedback: This is a faster method to reach to the wider pool of people by taking less time
and help in resolving the issues at instant rate without any delays. However, on the other hand, it
lacks the credibility factor and might be based on personal interpretations which is not authentic
to follow.
Feedback in electronic form: It is the best cost effective method that assists in organizing the
tasks in proper manner and help in gaining information faster and conveniently. There is a
drawback that it lacks clarity and transparency and might be biased.
TASK 2
1. Purpose and benefits
 Appraisal : It provided me a fair assessment to evaluate qualities and needs. Benefits -
identifying improvement areas, giving training according to skills and careful planning.
 Training: This is essential to me as it helped in improving skills and knowledge to
perform tasks effectively. Benefits- improved efficiencies, promoting employees'
engagement, bringing innovative strategic planning, getting adapted to new technologies
etc.
 Review of own performance: This proved useful to me in understanding self-evaluation
about the overall progression at professional levels. Benefits-increased motivational
levels, better satisfaction at job and enhanced morale among employees' etc.
 Feedback from colleagues: Purpose is to bring reliability and changes in work habits in
terms of conducting tasks to gain financial gains. Benefits-building of effective relations,
generating trust and enriching the workplace environment.
2.
Technology assisted learning programs via SOLAR, PDA etc. has proved useful at
personal levels since I received good training and led me help my colleagues.
Smart goals involved bringing radical modifications in terms of interpersonal, technical,
cognitive and ethical capacities of dental nurse to promote health awareness.
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S- This relates the specific details in receiving training and learning programs of nurses for
enhancing the technical and interpersonal skills
M- This is done by measuring its progress with continuous assessments and conducting sessions
with nurses to have open interaction understand the queries etc.
A- This would be attained by taking tests and assessments regrading the training program
R- It is considered realistic since it is achievable through collaboration and support
T- This would be able to reach within timeline of two months
TASK 3
3.
a) Patient advocate is the specialized area where the service users are given the utmost care and
concerned with fulfilling their specifications like keeping notes, addressing queries etc.
b)  Providing further information to support patient: I will study about its entire medical
history and propose the most suitable options in determining treatment options
 Raising concerns if patient is at risk: I will communicate it to the immediate provider or
personnel and guide the patient about the raising concerns to prevent any miscalculated
incident
4. Personal Development Log(PDI)
Templates Description
Learn/maintain PDI gives an opportunity in continuously join
courses to improve my cognitive capacities
and learn new techniques
Field of practice It would help me to grow into better
professional dental nurse
Development-outcome It must be result oriented to gain positive
effects in context to education and career
Benefit It helps to make me more aware and
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empathetic towards patients
Meeting this learning/maintenance need By making SMART goals
Time-frame Within two months
Review the impact Ensures complete development at professional
levels
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