Dental Nurse: Legal Requirements, Ethical Guidance, and Complaints

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the legal and ethical responsibilities of a dental nurse, including adherence to the Data Protection Act of 1998 and guidelines from the Department of Health and the Care Quality Commission. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining professionalism, particularly in the context of social media, and outlines the roles and responsibilities of dental nurses in providing active support and feedback to patients, carers, and team members. The report further details procedures for handling patient complaints, referencing specific guidelines in Northern Ireland, and outlines the steps involved in addressing and resolving complaints effectively. The conclusion highlights the crucial role of dental nurses in patient care, problem-solving, and upholding ethical standards within the dental practice.

Work within regulatory
requirements in relation to
the role of a dental nurse

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1. Current legal or regulatory requirements and guidelines a dental nurse has to follow...........1
3. Ethical and professional guidance ..........................................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
1. Providing active support and feedback for individuals and key people within the team........3
2. Procedures for handling complaints........................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Dental nurse plays an eminent role in the management of alveolar practices because it
assists the specialist person in every aspects and supports them during patient treatment.
However, their main motive is to prevent users from infections by conducting various useful
activities as well as help in preparing a dental surgery (Sonde and et. al., 2011). This assignment
is going to highlight various legal laws, norms, rules and regulations enacted by governing or
legitimate bodies for dental nurse. Along with this, ethics and professional guidance which is
required after completing this qualification will also be provided here along with procedures of
handling complaints. Moreover, various indispensable terms, roles or responsibilities of dental
nurse towards users and laws implemented for them is going to outlined in this project for
understanding it in deeper sense.
TASK 1
1. Current legal or regulatory requirements and guidelines a dental nurse has to follow
Dental nurses are liable for number of roles and responsibilities at workplace like helping
specialist person, preventing patients from infections by arranging all the things in an appropriate
way, supporting in preparing surgery and so on. Governing bodies play a crucial role in making
effective laws or norms for dental nurses in order to direct them towards corrective path.
Basically, major objective of advisory bodies is to prevent users from harmful effects,
exploitation and discrimination on the basis of caste, colour, religion, language, etc. Hence,
various guidelines are formulated by the legal bodies which are mandatory for dental nurse to
follow it and work accordingly without breaking rules (Haffey, Brady and Maxwell, 2014).
Therefore, various acts and professional codes of practices which are introduced by higher
authorities are described as follows:-
 Data protection act 1998:- According to this law, it is indispensable for nursing staff to
prevent their confidential data from exploitation or damage by using appropriate tools or
techniques. In fact, this act is introduced for holding personal information and an
individual has a right to control their secret evidences from public with the use of suitable
modes. Basically, this act signifies eight useful principles of defending data in order to
make sure that information is legally processed. Therefore, dental nurse is liable to
prevent confidential evidences about specific person from any misuse by focussing on it
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with the help of tight security. However, a person may be identified by numerous things
such as their name, address, telephone number or mail address. Apart from this, some of
the major principles of data protection act are described as below:
1. Personal information must be processed in a fair or legal way.
2. Secondly, data related with personal life of an individual must be acquired only for one or
more particular or legal purposes.
3. Must be adequate, accurate and relevant in relation to the purpose or motive for which
they are used.
4. Need to be updated at the time of requirement.
5. Personal information can't transfer one nation to another without consent of advisory
bodies.6. Steps can be taken by authority in case of misuse. Department of health guidelines and regulations: - It is considered as a ministry
department of European governing bodies which is mainly dependent upon government
policy on health or well-being of adult social care. Basically, their main objective is to
design various effective policies and guidelines for health care service provider in order
to meet the expectations of patients (Hockenberry and Wilson, 2014). Therefore, this
department carries out their work with the help of various social groups or development
bodies such as arms-length bodies (ALBs), non-departmental public bodies and
executive agencies like public health England and so on. Initially, it was found in the
year 1988 in order to develop national health by preventing needy people from harmful
effects. Thus, they set some essential norms, rules and regulations for overall sector
which are required to follow dental nursing team while performing their job role. Social media: - Life without social sites or media is unimaginable because it helps an
association or member to get connected with overall society as well as aids in acquiring
necessary information about changes which occurs at world level. As per this term, it
has been analysed that dental nurse needs to maintain their professionalism both offline
and online because it affects their working life also. Therefore, it is essential for them to
prevent their image from negativity as it may hampers their official life. Care quality commission: - It was proposed in almost 2009 which is an executive non
departmental public body of health department of UK. Their main motive is to regulate
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or inspect well-being and social care services in England by conducting various
appropriate programmes. Generally, it was designed with the support of three
predecessor enterprises such as health care committee, commission for social care
inspection and the mental welfare act authorisation. Basically, they are trying to enforce
various hospitals, care houses, dental clinics and social services towards development of
the overall society (Zijlstra‐Shaw, Robinson and Roberts, 2012). Along with this, they
also want to encourage service provider towards improvement of entire nation in order
to develop the country’s economy.
 Direct impact of direct access on each registrant groups: - According to this term,
every individual has authority to select whether they want to acquire support or
suggestion from dental care professionals without taking advice from the dentist.
After considering above information it has been analysed that northern Ireland, Scotland
and Wales are having different legal requirements due to their society needs or demands. In fact
all the above acts are distinct meaning at different places because of differences in their
government laws, norms, rules and regulations. Therefore, it has been analysed that dental
nursing at various regions are having unique responsibilities which make them differentiate from
each other.
3. Ethical and professional guidance
Covered in PPT
TASK 2
1. Providing active support and feedback for individuals and key people within the team
Dental nurse is trying to facilitate their users or patients instantly by following necessary
steps or procedures in order to protect them from harmful effects. Feedback is all about sharing
perception about services provided by professionals (Crane and Delany, 2013). Thus, various
appropriate method of supporting users are described as follows:-
Key people How to provide active support How to provide feedback
Patients It is essential to take instant
steps at the time of need in
order to resolve their
Express their views by sharing
about services which they
acquired by care professionals.
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problems. Dental nursing may
provide active help by offering
them sudden first aid facilities
without wasting time. For
example: if an individual is
suffering from severe pain in
their teeth and bleeding then
dental nurse may release their
pain by providing them instant
care (Myers, 2011).
Along with this, dental nurse
can also provide feedback by
taking initiatives and express it
on paper.
Carers They plays a major role in
supporting at the time of
requirement by arranging all
the things on immediate basis
as well as always be active
towards their work in order to
prevent patients from danger.
They can express it in an
informal way because they not
that much knowledgeable.
Team members One of the major support
which is provide by group
members are; they offers
support during any
complicated surgery or
operations. Along with this,
suggest while complex
situations.
Express things while doing
same job with other person.
Moreover, sharing experience.
Others with whom the
individual has a supportive
relationship, for example,
technicians, consultants and
engineers
Dental nursing is a profession
which requires suggestion or
advice from others while
accomplishing assigned job
due to its complexity.
Gossips with outsider and
image at marketplace shows
the feedback of other
members.
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2. Procedures for handling complaints
It is not easy to handle or manage complaints within dental practices due to its
complexity and higher demand of users. According to standards of dental team, number of
methods are available which is used by Scotland, Wales and England as well as having different
technique of managing it (Dental Surgery Policy for handling patient complaints, 2018). UK is a
very large nation by having number of countries and all of them have different way of regulating
consumer complaints which is described as follows:-
Northern Ireland: - In this state, complaining process was established in around 2009 in
which proper guidelines is mentioned for removing this problem. According to standards and
guidelines for resolution and learning problem is presented to the practice or local health board
within six months. After getting updated about issue, the deadline for complain is either six
months as well as 12 months from the incident. Thus, health boards need to be honest towards
problem in order to overcome it as soon as possible (Buchan, Fronteira and Dussault, 2011).
Therefore, practices need to acknowledge issues within three working days and need to provide
health board with a photocopy of a complaints. After that, if suffered person is not satisfying
with this decision then they have authority to complain it to the Northern Ireland commissioner
for further change.
Apart from this one of common way of managing complaints is mentioned as follows:
Step: 1 (Contacting with specialist):- If an individual is having any complaint then they can
directly call to the dentist or leave a message on reception.
Step: 2 (Acknowledgement):- It is essential to acknowledge the user complaints and enclose a
Xerox of this code of practice within five days or as per law.
Step: 3 (Respond):-Need to respond toward complaints within fifteen days. It is essential for
removal of problems as well as secure time period.
Step: 4 (Initiatives by dentist):- Dentist who is responsible for treatment need to act
immediately because he\she is liable for certain problem. Therefore, it is indispensable to them
for sudden steps (How to handle complaints, 2014).
Step: 5 (Further presentation):- Permit patient for further representation within thirty days.
Step: 6 (Offer of solution):- Need to design a final offer of resolution within fifteen days. Along
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with this, another dentist requisite to reconsider it and design a final decision.
Step: 7 (Keeping confidential records):- An effective maintenance of comprehensive secret
records.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that dental nursing is playing a major role in
helping different users in an effective manner. Along with this, they also act as a problem solver
for patients by supporting them at the time of requirement. This assignment is all about various
acts or norms which are stated by general standards council as well as ethical guidelines that are
essential for nursing staff while performing their job roles. Apart from this, various appropriate
methods of handling complaints are also expressed for resolving it in minimum time period.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Sonde, L. and et. al., 2011. Care providers’ perceptions of the importance of oral care and its
performance within everyday caregiving for nursing home residents with
dementia. Scandinavian journal of caring sciences. 25(1). pp.92-99.
Haffey, F., Brady, R. R. and Maxwell, S., 2014. Smartphone apps to support hospital prescribing
and pharmacology education: a review of current provision. British journal of clinical
pharmacology. 77(1). pp.31-38.
Hockenberry, M. J. and Wilson, D., 2014. Wong's Nursing Care of Infants and Children-E-Book.
Elsevier Health Sciences.
Zijlstra‐Shaw, S., Robinson, P. G. and Roberts, T., 2012. Assessing professionalism within
dental education; the need for a definition. European Journal of Dental Education. 16(1).
Zenzano, T. and et. al., 2011. The roles of healthcare professionals in implementing clinical
prevention and population health. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 40(2).
pp.261-267.
Ritchie, C., Dann, L. and J Ford, P., 2013. Shared learning for oral health therapy and dental
students: enhanced understanding of roles and responsibilities through interprofessional
education. European Journal of Dental Education. 17(1).
Dolce, M. C., 2014. Integrating oral health into professional nursing practice: An
interprofessional faculty tool kit. Journal of Professional Nursing. 30(1). pp.63-71.
Crane, J. and Delany, C., 2013. Physiotherapists in emergency departments: responsibilities,
accountability and education. Physiotherapy. 99(2). pp.95-100.
Myers, C. E., 2011. Opportunities and challenges related to pharmacy technicians in supporting
optimal pharmacy practice models in health systems. American Journal of Health-System
Pharmacy. 68(12). pp.1128-1136.
Buchan, J., Fronteira, I. and Dussault, G., 2011. Continuity and change in human resources
policies for health: lessons from Brazil. Human resources for health. 9(1). p.17.
Online
How to handle complaints, 2014. [Online]. Availabe
through<http://www.dentistry.co.uk/2014/10/06/handle-complaints/>.
Dental Surgery Policy for handling patient complaints, 2018. [Online]. Available
through<https://www.bridgestreetdentalsurgery.co.uk/your-practice/our-complaints-
procedure/>.
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