Diary of a max fax dental nurse

Sarah Forrester works in Arrowe Park Hospital’s maxillofacial department and orthodontic department in the Wirral, Merseyside. Qualifying in 1993, she says she chose a hospital setting ‘for the diversity of the job’. Responsibilities in the dental nurse-led clinics include assisting in IV sedation, mouth care for end-of-life patients on the wards, plus all the usual duties of a dental nurse.

She has an additional qualification in IV Sedation and an extra interest in end-of-life mouth care. Also essential to the role, she says, are empathy, good communication skills and a lot of stamina. Sarah adds: ‘Having a good relationship with your clinician matters, too, as you are more inclined to go above and beyond.’