Unit 301 Preparing for Professional Practice in Dental Nursing Assessment Brief 2026

City & Guilds Level 3 Extended Diploma in Dental Nursing 

Unit 301 Assessment Brief 

This unit will introduce the roles and responsibilities of a dental  nurse, and the essential attributes and behaviours required to work within the legislative framework in this professional role. Additionally, it will enable the dental nurse to develop reflective practice, communication and patient centred care, skills that are required throughout their career.

Learning Outcome

The learner will:

1. Be able to reflect on own current professional practice and identify areas for ongoing improvement using a Personal Development Plan (PDP).:

• Assess own current capabilities and limitations using a SWOT/SWOB or similar type of analysis tool.
• Create a PDP.
• Develop and maintain the PDP throughout the programme of study.

2. Understand how a Personal Development Plan (PDP) is used to continuously improve professional knowledge, skills and behaviours.

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

• Explain how effective feedback helps to develop reflective practice, putting patients interests first.
• Explain the benefits of reflecting on own performance.
• Explain the purpose of a PDP.
• Explain how the PDP will be used with appraisals to reflect on performance and set targets for continuous improvement.
• Explain how the PDP will be used after qualification to identify CPD opportunities.

Range 

(AC2.1) Effective feedback

1. Feedback through appraisal
2. Internal feedback
3. External feedback (eg patient feedback)

3. Understand the roles and responsibilities of a dental nurse.

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

• State the role of governing bodies and regulators.
• Summarise the scope of practice for a dental nurse.
• Summarise how the role of the dental nurse is influenced by each of the principles in the GDC Standards for the Dental Team.
• Describe how the following factors influence the role of a dental nurse:
  1. Safe working practices
  2. Treating patients and colleagues with dignity, integrity and respect
  3. Acting professionally and ethically
  4. Being aware of professional boundaries (eg appropriate use of social media)
  5. Attitudes and behaviours within and outside of the workplace
  6. Responsibility for own actions (eg negligence)
  7. Chaperoning procedures
  8. Duty of candour
  9. Fitness to practise
  10. Annual retention fee
  11. Duty of care
  12. Professional Indemnity
  13. Current Equality legislation
  14. Workplace policies
  15. Networking and collaborating with other dental professionals
  16. Stock maintenance (eg expiry dates, stock rotation).
• Describe Direct Access for dental registrants.
• Describe the roles of other team members in the practice.
• Explain the potential consequences of unprofessional behaviour.
• Describe the process for whistleblowing.
• Explain how patient anxieties over barriers to treatment could be alleviated.

Range 

(AC3.1) Governing bodies and regulators

1. General Dental Council (GDC)
2. Care Quality Commission (CQC)

(AC3.5) Dental Registrants

1. Dentists
2. Dental Care Professionals

(AC3.7) Potential consequences

1. Fitness to practise proceedings / sanctioning of the dental registrant
2. Damaged reputation of the practice / dental profession
3. Impacts on the patient(s)

(AC3.9) Barriers to treatment

1. Fear
2. Financial
3. Availability of dental services
4. Access to dental facilities

4. Understand the principles and importance of consent, information governance and safeguarding of patients.

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

• Explain the purpose of gaining valid consent.
• Explain the requirements that must be considered by the clinician to obtain valid consent.
• Explain the principles of information governance within the workplace.
• Define the term ‘confidentiality’ in the dental setting.
• Describe the current legal requirements for protecting confidential data relating to patients and their treatment.
• Describe how patient confidentiality is maintained in the dental setting.
• Define the term ‘safeguarding’ in the dental setting.
• Describe the indicators of a potential safeguarding concern.
• Explain the responsibilities of a dental nurse in safeguarding patients.

Range 

(AC4.2) Requirements which must be considered

1. Capacity (Mental Capacity Legislation)
2. Patients with additional needs
3. Gillick consent
4. Montgomery patient-centred approach to consent
5. Treatment planning and costs

(AC4.5) Legal requirements

1. Current Data Protection legislation
2. Current General Data Protection regulations
3. Human rights

(AC4.8) Safeguarding concerns

1. Child Protection
2. Vulnerable Adults
3. Health and wellbeing
4. Prevent Duty and British Values

5. Understand the importance of appropriate communication in healthcare at all times and through all media.

Assessment Criteria

• Explain methods for communicating effectively and sensitively with all patients.
• Explain how effective communication within the dental team contributes to the delivery of safe high-quality care.
• Describe how communication methods can be adapted to overcome barriers when dealing with patients and colleagues.
• Explain the importance of maintaining contemporaneous, complete and accurate patient records in accordance with legal requirements and best practice.

Range 

(AC5.1) Methods

1. Verbal
2. Non-verbal
3. Written
4. Electronic

(AC5.3) Barriers

1. Individuals with additional needs
2. Language barriers
3. Physical barriers
4. Emotional barriers
5. External distractions / environmental factors
6. Use of terminology
7. Perception / misunderstanding

6. Understand the procedures for the handling of complaints in the workplace.

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

• Explain how patients’ rights to complain are respected.
• Describe the complaints procedure in their workplace.
• Identify the timeframe for dealing with written patients’ complaints.
• Explain how complaints can be used constructively to drive continuous improvement.

7. Be able to communicate appropriately, effectively and sensitively all times and through all media.

Assessment Criteria

• Be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with all service users using a range of communication methods and technologies.
• Communicate using a patient centred approach, being sensitive to patients needs and values.

Range 

(AC7.1) Service users

1. Patients
2. Parents/carers
3. Other members of the dental team (internal/external parties eg laboratories, company representatives).

(AC7.1) Communication methods

1. Written
2. Verbal
3. Non-verbal

(AC7.2) Patient centred approach

1. Reassure patients
2. Provide support and communicate on behalf of the patient when appropriate (advocacy)
3. Display professionalism, integrity, equality, dignity and respect for individual/additional needs       

Unit 301 Preparing for professional practice in dental nursing Supporting Information

Evidence Requirements

Learning Outcome 1 – The learner must complete a PDP to include a reflection activity for each unit in the qualification.

Learning Outcomes 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 – Centres may use professional discussion, assessor devised questions, expert witness testimonies, outcomes of research-based activities, assignments and reflective accounts.

Learning Outcome 7 – observation of practice in the workplace. This outcome should be observed on at least three separate occasions. If three direct observations are not achievable, centres may cross-reference the simulation from unit 311 as the third observation.

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