Reviewing Impact After Change

Reviewing Impact After Change is part of meeting S 2.8*. For dental nurses, this means using feedback, audit, incidents and patient comments to determine whether a change has improved care.

New technology can improve care but may introduce new risks. Dental nurses should feel able to ask about evidence, training, data protection, patient understanding and local procedures before and after implementation.

In practice this often appears in small moments: a routine task, a patient question slightly outside scope, an unclear handover, a colleague under pressure, a new system, or a concern that something is not right. Professional self-management is about recognising those moments and choosing a safe response.

Practical markers

• Notice: what the patient, team, task or system is showing before the concern becomes normalised.
• Check: your role, competence, current guidance, local policy and the support available.
• Ask: for advice or feedback when uncertainty, workload, emotion or change could affect judgement.
• Act: take a proportionate next step - pause, clarify, hand over, record, report, reflect or escalate.
• Review: whether the action improved safety, learning, wellbeing or confidence for future practice.

Useful speaking-up language can be simple: "Can I check the current guidance or ask for feedback before we make this routine?" The phrasing is respectful and clearly states the safety, learning or wellbeing concern so others can act.

SPF behaviour links

The impact of new techniques and technologies as they relate to dental nurse practice helps dental nurses link self-management with patient safety, professional growth and team trust.