Telephone and Reception Conversations

Telephone and Reception Conversations supports meeting I 1.4. For dental nurses, this means communicating clearly while safeguarding confidentiality at the front desk and on the phone.

Communication in dental nursing directly affects patient safety. It underpins valid consent, preserves dignity, reassures patients, ensures accurate records and supports appropriate escalation and handover.

These responsibilities appear in everyday moments: a patient who seems uncertain, a receptionist seeking clinical advice, a dentist working to time, a trainee needing feedback, messages received electronically, handovers between staff, or a colleague reluctant to raise a concern. Interpersonal skill is the ability to respond with care, clarity and professional judgement in those moments.

Practical markers

• Notice: what the patient, colleague, situation or system is communicating.
• Choose: a communication method, team route or escalation step that fits the context.
• Respect: role boundaries, confidentiality, dignity, cultural needs and emotional impact.
• Check: understanding, responsibility, handover and whether the next person has the information they need.
• Follow up: through records, feedback, supervision, team discussion or concern-raising where needed.

Useful language can be simple and direct: "Can I check how the patient would prefer us to explain this before we continue?" This gives a clear, professional reason to pause, clarify or escalate.

SPF behaviour links

Effective and sensitive spoken, written and electronic communication with the public helps dental nurses protect patient dignity, maintain team trust and deliver safe care.