Am I doing the right thing?

A new dentist arrived at the practice. She quickly became well liked and was popular with staff and patients. However, when busy, she told her nurse that before any treatment she (the nurse) could take medical histories for new and existing patients, verify any queries that the patients may have and inform the dentist that all was well before treatment was carried out. The nurse was happy to assist patients with the medical history, which was in a ‘tick box’ sheet format signed by the patient, but unhappy that hers was the only check on the history before treatment commenced. This was pointed out to the dentist but the reply was that she had complete confidence in the nurse and that this was an appropriate role for the nurse in patient care within the practice. The dentist also said that it was a valuable time saver. The nurse was uncomfortable about this, but reluctantly obeyed the instruction given to her. However, she remained very concerned and sought guidance from her indemnity organisation. So, was this request by the dentist appropriate and was it a suitable role for the nurse?