Improving patient care through development of dental nurse specialist roles

IF 2.3 4区医学 Q2 DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE

British Dental Journal Pub Date : 2025-09-26 DOI:10.1038/s41415-025-9162-9

Ahmed Jassim, Jose M. Rodriguez, Harpoonam Kalsi, Alicia Vidal-Nicholson, Samantha Salaver

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Abstract

The pioneering of the dental nurse specialist role by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust aims to tackle rising demand for NHS services by allocating further duties to dental nurses with enhanced qualifications and training. We describe the evolution of the role and its future amidst a dynamic healthcare landscape. Dental nurse specialists provide patient care and advocacy among the multidisciplinary team. They aid in clinical assessments, educate and ensure patient needs are addressed. Additionally, they play a major role in clinical governance by championing innovation, training staff and participating in policy discussions. Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust has developed dental nurse specialist roles alongside the London Southbank University's part-time BSc (Hons) Enhanced Dental Nursing Practice. This first-of-its-kind programme trains dental nurses for a wider breadth of responsibilities, offering diverse career pathways for dental nursing specialists. Several subspecialties are recognised, all of which involve their distinct contributions to patient care. The dental nurse specialist role has developed significantly from its origins, yet progress is needed in protecting the title and establishing a firmer legal framework. The Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust initiative aims to drive role advancement, with the recognised academic programme equipping a new generation of dental nurse specialists to meet the increasing demand for NHS dental care.

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通过发展牙科护士专家的角色来改善病人护理

牙科护士专家角色的先驱盖伊和圣托马斯NHS信托旨在通过分配进一步的职责，以提高资格和培训的牙科护士来解决对NHS服务不断增长的需求。我们描述了角色的演变及其在动态医疗保健环境中的未来。牙科护理专家在多学科团队中提供患者护理和宣传。他们协助临床评估、教育并确保患者的需求得到满足。此外，他们通过倡导创新、培训员工和参与政策讨论，在临床治理中发挥重要作用。盖伊和圣托马斯NHS信托基金与伦敦南岸大学的兼职理学士（荣誉）强化牙科护理实践一起开发了牙科护士专家角色。这是首个此类课程，为牙科护士提供更广泛的职责培训，为牙科护理专家提供多样化的职业道路。几个亚专科被认可，所有这些都涉及到他们对病人护理的独特贡献。牙科护士专家的角色从它的起源有了显著的发展，但需要在保护标题和建立更牢固的法律框架方面取得进展。盖伊和圣托马斯NHS信托倡议旨在推动角色进步，与公认的学术课程装备新一代牙科护士专家，以满足NHS牙科保健日益增长的需求。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

British Dental Journal 医学-牙科与口腔外科

CiteScore

3.10

自引率

15.40%

发文量

1096

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： The role of the BDJ is to inform its readers of ideas, opinions, developments and key issues in dentistry - clinical, practical and scientific - stimulating interest, debate and discussion amongst dentists of all disciplines. All papers published in the BDJ are subject to rigorous peer review.