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Job summary

Main area
Specialist Dental Nurse
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 5
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
284-25-7222484-DSAB
Employer
Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Birmingham Children's Hospital
Town
Birmingham
Salary
£29,970 - £36,483 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/06/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust logo

Specialist Dental Nurse (Cardiac)

NHS AfC: Band 5

Flexible working arrangements may be considered and discussions with the recruiting manager regarding this are encouraged.  

Job overview

This is an exciting new post and will be the perfect opportunity for an individual who is looking to expand their clinical and teaching skills. The department has recently had a refurbishment to allow for the development of a cardiac dental pathway. You will work alongside a newly appointed Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry, Project Manager and the Cardiology team, to develop and deliver the standards as outlined in the Commissioning document (NHS commissioning » E05. Congenital heart services).

The postholder will sit within the Paediatric Dentistry Service, within the Surgery Division - they are a Dental Nurse working on the newly commissioned cardiac screening pathway within the Service. This pathway supports patients with Congenital Heart Disease who are at high risk of infective endocarditis which can be caused by bacteria in the mouth, and these patients will require dental screening and possibly dental treatment. They will be working in partnership with the patient and family to provide effective dental care. Additionally, the post holder will support the specialty to educate and develop clinical teams including undergraduate students, postgraduate, qualified Dental Nurses, Dental Nurse apprentices, and non-dental teams.

Support will be offered to the successful candidate on developing extended duties i.e. Fluoride Varnish application and integration of a digital workflow.

Flexibility is required to work across the dental clinical and educational service.

Main duties of the job

This post primarily involves working with children and young patients, providing specialised Paediatric dental nursing support at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. As the network develops, the post holder may be required to support ad hoc provision at the peripheral outreach sites (this will be discussed with the successful candidate as is not a prerequisite). The post holder will be working as part of the dental team including Consultants, Dental Therapist and Dental Nurses, trainees and administrators.

The post holder will provide dental hygiene advice to patients, work with patients with complex medical history and needs. In addition, the post holder will carry out dental radiography and sedation.

The post holder will work within the parameters of a Dental Nurse. The postholder will be working with patients requiring cardiac treatment.

A Dental Nurse requires strong analytical and judgment skills to assess patient needs, anticipate the Dentist's requirements during procedures, and ensure compliance with infection control protocols. They must quickly interpret clinical situations, prioritise tasks effectively, and make informed decisions under pressure to maintain patient safety.

The person in the post will need to be logical, methodical, organised, and accurate as will be dealing with sensitive patient information and will need to be focused when dealing with such information. 

Working for our organisation

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust is the first of its type in the UK. Our Trust was formed in February 2017 to drive forward our commitment to provide the highest quality, world-class physical and mental health care for our women, children and families. Uniting our hospitals means more seamless care; more investment to make greater advances in our specialist treatment and world-leading neo-natal and fetal work. Importantly, it also gives us a greater voice in shaping the future of family-centred care.

Birmingham Children's Hospital is a UK leading specialist paediatric centre with an international reputation in several areas.

Birmingham Women's Hospital is one of two dedicated women's hospitals in the UK, with the busiest single site maternity unit, delivering more than 8,200 babies a year offering a full range of gynaecological, maternity and neonatal care.

Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB) Mental Health Services are a unique, innovative community and inpatient mental health partnership. Alongside partners FTB offers care pathways of mental health assessment and treatment for young people aged 0-25 years old.

Our Trust is committed to creating the best place to work. We believe in promoting and enhancing inclusion, diversity and equality and encourage applications from all areas of the community, who meet the criteria for the role, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification to view the full details for this opportunity at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. 

When completing your application, please ensure you have evidenced how you meet the job description and person specification to include transferable experience, qualifications, skills along with professional registration details (if applicable). 

Occasionally we receive a large number of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Hold one of the following certificates: A Dental Nurse qualification that enables registration with the General Dental Council i.e. NVQ Level 3, Level 3 Diploma in Dental Nursing or Dental Nursing National Certificate in Dental Nursing / Gained entry onto GDC register via grand parenting (pre-2008)
  • Registered with the General Dental Council
  • Hold a post-registration qualification certificate or equivalent, and provide evidence of continual professional development, where relevant: • Dental Sedation Nursing • Special Care Dental Nursing • Dental Radiography • Oral Health Education
Desirable criteria
  • Recognised Teaching Qualification at Level 3 or equivalent
  • Fluoride Varnish application
  • Experience in oral health promotion

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge of range of dental procedures and practices, majority non-routine; acquired through training and experience to diploma level or equivalent plus further knowledge and training in specialist area, e.g. sedation, dental radiography, orthodontics, maxillo-facial, health promotion, or equivalent level of experience
  • Clearly explain dental procedures and treatment plans to patients, including those who may be anxious, have communication difficulties, or complex medical needs. Effectively communicate with external agencies such as social services, school nurses, and GP practices
  • Deliver pre-operative and post-operative guidance and instructions for specialised dental procedures, such as orthodontics, maxillofacial treatments, and anesthesia, while also providing health education.

ANALYTICAL AND JUDGEMENT SKILLS

Essential criteria
  • Recognises and prioritises urgent cases, manages triages referrals, fault finding on specialist equipment issues, and adapts responses to meet the specific needs of different client groups, such as children.

PROFESSIONAL / MANAGERIAL / SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE

Essential criteria
  • Maintains patient’s records
  • Good IT skills and use of Microsoft software as well as clinical systems
  • Dental Nurse Code of Conduct and guidelines of professional practice
  • Good theoretical and practical knowledge of Dental Nursing Health and Safety awareness
  • Quality issues and Clinical Governance
  • Awareness of policies and procedures which are relevant to Dental Nursing
  • Awareness of need to demonstrate a professional appearance and behaviour
  • Awareness of risk management and procedures
  • An understanding of how to manage medically compromised patients
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of participation in relevant research activities and clinical trials to assist with surgical procedures

PERSONAL SKILLS / ABILITIES AND ATTRIBUTES

Essential criteria
  • Flexible approach to working in line with service requirements
  • The ability to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service including working at different sites if needed
  • Ability to work under pressure
  • Excellent time management

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyMenopause Friendly EmployerPositive about disabled peopleDisability confident leaderCare quality commission - GoodStonewall Silver 2022Disability confident employerThe Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei) is the UK's leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion issues in the workplace.Disability confident committedInvesting in VolunteersHappy to Talk Flexible Working

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Victoria Timmins
Job title
Dental Team Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0121 333 9352
Additional information

Or alternatively contact [email protected] 

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