Respect and Professional Behaviour

Respect and professional behaviour contribute to meeting I 2.5. For dental nurses this means treating colleagues fairly and acting within professional boundaries in every interaction.

Team working is a safety system: it depends on clear roles, respect for scope of practice, effective communication and protecting colleagues who raise concerns.

These behaviours show in everyday moments: when a patient seems unsure, a receptionist asks for guidance, a dentist moves quickly, a trainee needs feedback, a message arrives, during handover, or when a colleague is worried about speaking up. Interpersonal skill is responding with care, clarity and sound professional judgement.

Practical markers

• Notice: what the patient, colleague, situation or system is signalling.
• Choose: a communication method, team route or escalation step appropriate to the situation.
• 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: record actions, give feedback, use supervision, raise concerns or discuss improvements as needed.

Useful language can be simple: "Can we pause and check whose role this is, so the patient gets the right support?" It states the issue calmly and gives the team a clear reason to pause, clarify or escalate.

SPF behaviour links

Team working guidance provided by the GDC and other relevant bodies helps dental nurses protect patient dignity, team trust and safe care.