Respect, Inclusion and Psychological Safety

Respect, inclusion and psychological safety support meeting I 2.4. For dental nurses this means creating conditions where team members can ask questions and raise concerns without fear of ridicule or reprisal.

Team working is a professional safety system: clear roles, respect for scope of practice, accurate communication and protection for those who raise concerns all reduce risk and protect patients.

These behaviours show up in day-to-day moments: a patient who seems unsure, a receptionist seeking guidance, a dentist working quickly, a trainee asking for feedback, a message in the clinical record, a handover, or a colleague worried about speaking up. Interpersonal skill is the ability to respond with care, clear language 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 and direct: "Can we pause and check whose role this is, so the patient gets the right support?" It is calm, professional and gives the team a clear reason to pause, clarify or escalate.

SPF behaviour links

How team members and effective team working contribute to safe, effective, high-quality care and culturally diverse teams helps dental nurses protect patient dignity, team trust and safe care.