Lead Dental Nurse Special Care, Sedation & GA

To work as a lead nurse in the Community & Special Care Dentistry team, providing clinical, professional and operational leadership to support the delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care for individuals with complex needs. Working closely with the Consultant in Special Care Dentistry, the role ensures the effective coordination of specialist services, including sedation and general anaesthesia, supporting patients with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, mental health conditions, medical complexities, dental anxiety and other additional needs.

The successful candidate will support the co-ordination of patients who are referred for care under the Special Care Consultants, liaising with others to manage multidisciplinary care. You will be responsible for organising the clinicians' diaries across both primary and secondary care sites in numerous settings, liaising with necessary administrative support and other medical/dental specialities to organise appropriate patient optimisation.

Main duties of the job

Provide clinical and operational support to deliver Special Care Dentistry services, including inhalation and intravenous sedation, general anaesthesia and domiciliary care for patients with complex physical, medical, mental health and social care needs.

Undertake pre-sedation assessments, prepare patients for treatment, provide chairside support, monitor patients throughout treatment and recovery; deliver pre- and post-operative advice.

Support the organisation of general anaesthetic lists, ensuring effective patient scheduling, utilisation of theatre capacity, appropriate documentation, multidisciplinary liaison to meet waiting time targets.

Act as liaison between patients, carers, clinicians and multidisciplinary teams to facilitate treatment planning, referrals, best interest meetings and seamless patient pathways across primary and secondary care.

Organise and manage Consultant clinics and diaries, monitor referral and waiting lists, to support the efficient delivery of specialist dental services.

Ensure dental surgeries are appropriately prepared, equipment is maintained, stock levels are managed and a safe clinical environment is maintained in line with infection prevention, health and safety and clinical governance requirements.

Maintain accurate clinical records, support informed consent processes, exercise sound clinical judgement, prioritise workload effectively and contribute to continuous improvement and efficient running of the Special Care Dentistry service.

You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all of its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its employees. This includes commitments to professional development but also many policies to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives.