Communication, Feedback and Conflict

Communication, Feedback and Conflict aligns with P 2.2. For dental nurses this means having the practical skills to support patients and colleagues and to maintain safe systems while staying within your scope of practice.

The SPF expects dental nurses to know their specific management and leadership responsibilities. In a practice this can include coordinating a surgery, supporting trainees, supervising decontamination flow, contributing to meetings, covering reception safely, or noticing when a system is failing.

What to notice in practice

• Feedback: treat information as evidence for learning and improvement, not just paperwork.
• Difficult conversations: identify what the patient or colleague needs next, and then hand over or escalate clearly.
• Team meetings: ensure roles, key messages and next actions are recorded clearly so colleagues can act safely.
• Incivility: identify the immediate need, then hand over or escalate rather than absorbing the issue.
• Patient-facing tone: use language and behaviour that supports safety and access; escalate if tone affects care.

The practical skills here include clear communication, role clarity, prioritisation, giving and receiving feedback, awareness of records, IPC knowledge, emotional awareness, and knowing when to escalate rather than accept unsafe pressure.

Good practice is visible and actionable: prepare for interactions, listen to what patients and colleagues are actually saying, check understanding, hand over information clearly, and raise recurring problems so they can be addressed systematically.

Research and system context

Your leadership role is defined by responsibility, competence and influence, not only by job title.