Theatre Nurse

Primary Responsibilities

1.

Prepare the dental surgical

theatre before each operating session, including setting up sterile instrument

trays, arranging surgical consumables and materials, confirming equipment

functionality, and ensuring the theatre environment meets required infection

prevention and cleanliness standards.

2.

Perform scrub nurse duties

during dental surgical procedures maintaining the sterile field, passing

instruments and materials to the dentist with precision, managing sharps and

swab counts, and anticipating the dentist's needs throughout each procedure.

3.

Perform circulating nurse

duties by managing the non-sterile zone of the theatre, supplying additional

materials during procedures, documenting intra-operative events, and

facilitating communication between the dentist, dental assistants, and any

anaesthetic support present.

4.

Conduct pre-operative patient

checks prior to each surgical case, including confirming patient identity,

verifying signed surgical consent, reviewing medical history and allergies, and

completing the clinic's pre-surgical safety checklist before the patient enters

the theatre.

5.

Assist in safe patient

positioning on the dental surgical chair or table, applying appropriate support

and protective measures to ensure patient comfort, prevent pressure injuries,

and provide the dentist with optimal access throughout the procedure.

6.

Monitor and support patient

safety throughout dental surgical procedures, including observing for signs of

adverse reactions to local anaesthesia or conscious sedation, managing oxygen

delivery where applicable, and escalating any clinical deterioration to the

dentist immediately.

7.

Perform and document accurate

instrument, swab, and needle counts before, during, and at the close of every

surgical procedure, reconciling all counts with the dentist and flagging any

discrepancies without delay per the clinic's theatre safety protocol.

8.

Receive, correctly label,

preserve, and dispatch all surgical specimens and biopsies to the laboratory in

compliance with the clinic's specimen management policy and chain-of-custody

requirements.

9.

Carry out thorough

decontamination, cleaning, packaging, and sterilization of all reusable

surgical instruments and equipment between cases, maintaining accurate

autoclave cycle logs and ensuring full compliance with the clinic's IPC

standard operating procedures.

10. Manage post-operative patient recovery within the clinic,

monitoring consciousness level, airway, vital signs, pain scores, bleeding, and

wound status following dental surgical procedures, and providing clear recovery

instructions before safe discharge.

11. Maintain complete, accurate, and confidential

peri-operative records for every surgical case, including instrument count

records, intra-operative notes, implant and material logs, and post-operative

handover documentation, using the clinic's practice management system.

12. Manage theatre stock control for surgical consumables,

sutures, implants, bone grafting materials, and sterile supplies, conducting

regular counts, raising timely reorder requests, verifying deliveries, and

organizing storage on a FIFO basis to prevent expiry.

13. Respond promptly to clinical emergencies arising during or

after dental surgical procedures including anaphylaxis, vasovagal episodes,

airway compromise, excessive haemorrhage, and cardiac events applying Basic

Life Support (BLS) competencies and the clinic's emergency protocols.

14. Supervise and mentor dental assistants assigned to the

theatre, guiding them in sterile technique, instrument handling, patient

preparation, and IPC compliance, and fostering a culture of precision and

professionalism within the surgical team.

15. Monitor, maintain, and report on the condition of all

dental theatre equipment including surgical handpieces, implant motors, suction

units, autoclaves, and surgical lighting escalating defects or malfunctions to

the clinic manager for prompt repair.

16. Enforce theatre discipline and safety standards, including

correct donning and doffing of PPE, restricted zone access control, and

mandatory completion of the pre-surgical safety checklist for every case,

regardless of procedure complexity.

17. Coordinate the theatre schedule in liaison with the dentist

and front office, ensuring cases are turned over efficiently, theatre

preparation time is factored into the operating list, and the surgical day runs

smoothly without compromising patient safety.

18. Ensure full compliance with the Nursing Act, the Public

Health Act, and NCK guidelines, and support the clinic during regulatory

inspections, licensing renewals, and clinical audits relating to the surgical

theatre.

Secondary Responsibilities.

1.

Communicate clinical risks,

near-misses, equipment faults, and operational concerns to the dentist or

clinic manager to support continuous improvement of theatre safety and

efficiency.

2.

Contribute to the development

and review of theatre standard operating procedures, surgical checklists, and

patient safety protocols within the dental practice.

3.

Provide clinical input on

procurement decisions for surgical instruments, theatre consumables, dental

implants, and bone grafting materials, drawing on hands-on surgical experience.

4.

Support the induction and

on-the-job training of new dental assistants rotating through the theatre,

ensuring they understand sterile technique, safety protocols, and theatre

conduct before working independently.

5.

Participate in clinical

audits, adverse event reviews, and quality improvement initiatives relating to

the dental surgical theatre.

6.

Serve on the clinic's

emergency response team and attend regular BLS refresher drills to maintain

readiness for medical emergencies occurring within the facility.

7.

Perform any other duties

assigned by the dentist or clinic management to support the safe, efficient,

and high-quality delivery of dental surgical services.

Requirements & Competencies