Receiving Feedback Yourself

Receiving Feedback Yourself is part of meeting I 2.2. For dental nurses, this means using feedback as practical information to support professional development.
Team working is also a safety system: knowing roles, respecting scope, communicating clearly and protecting people who raise concerns.
In everyday practice this appears in small interactions: a patient who looks uncertain, a receptionist asking for guidance, a dentist moving quickly, a trainee needing feedback, a digital message, a handover, or a colleague worried about speaking up. Interpersonal skill is the ability to respond with care, clarity and professional judgement.
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: "Can we pause and check whose role this is, so the patient gets the right support?" The wording is calm and professional and gives the team a clear reason to pause, clarify or escalate.
Professional responsibilities in appraisal, colleague development and effective feedback help dental nurses protect patient dignity, team trust and safe care.

