About this course
This comprehensive course is designed for dental professionals, particularly dental nurses, who are committed to enhancing their understanding of sharps safety within the dental practice. It will equip you with the essential knowledge and skills needed to effectively prevent, manage, and respond to sharps injuries while ensuring compliance with legal and safety standards.
Our course looks into the critical aspects of sharps safety, providing detailed insights into the risks and prevention strategies associated with sharps injuries in dental settings. You will gain practical knowledge on managing sharps injuries, including immediate first aid and post-exposure protocols, according to UK legislation and guidelines.
The ability to prevent and manage sharps injuries is vital for dental professionals. This course offers a comprehensive look into effective prevention strategies and legal responsibilities, enabling you to handle sharps incidents with confidence and competence, thereby ensuring a safer working environment for both dental staff and patients.
This course is relevant to all dental professionals, but especially dental nurses.
CPD Time: 1 hours (1 CPD Credit)
Customer feedback on this course
- The course provided a comprehensive understanding of sharps safety and prevention.
- I feel more confident in managing and preventing sharps injuries in my dental practice.
- The practical tips and compliance guidelines were incredibly useful.
- I appreciated the detail on legal responsibilities and risk assessments.
- This course was essential for ensuring a safe and compliant dental working environment.
Assessment: 12 MCQs. Pass mark 75%. more…
On passing the assessment you will immediately receive a GDC-recognised Enhanced CPD Certificate.
Aim:
To provide dental nurses with the knowledge and skills to safely manage sharps in dental practice.
Course Objectives:
• Understand the risks and prevention strategies for sharps injuries.
• Recognise legal and ethical responsibilities in sharps management.
Anticipated Learning Outcomes:
• Identify risks associated with sharps injuries.
• Implement effective prevention strategies.
• Follow procedures for managing sharps injuries.
• Understand responsibilities in injury response.
• Ensure compliance with UK legislation for sharps management.
GDC Development Outcome: C
Learning content:
Sharps Injuries in Dentistry | Sharps Injuries in Dental Nursing Practice | Immunisation for Dental Nurses | Patient Medical History and Infection Prevention | Immediate Injury Management | Subsequent Management | Reporting Sharps Injuries to the HSE | Prevention | Disposal of Sharps | Disinfection and Decontamination | Practice Policy and the CQC
View full course description
Sharps Safety for Dental Nurses
Course Description
Understanding Sharps Injuries
This section covers the prevalence of sharps injuries among dental nurses, particularly early in their careers. It looks into the serious but rare cases of infections such as hepatitis C and HIV and looks at factors that influence infection risk, including pathogen type and vaccination status.
Risk Rates and Prevention
Learners will review factors affecting infection rates, such as the potential for disease transmission and the impact of hepatitis B vaccination. This section highlights personal precautions and adherence to infection control protocols as very important prevention measures.
Sharps Injuries in Dental Nursing Practice
This section describes common sources of sharps injuries, categorises injury risks, and emphasises the importance of identifying source patients for BBV status. Attention is given to the substances that pose high risks and the importance of proper sharps management.
Immunisation and Medical Histories
Dental nurses are advised on vaccination against TB and are mandated to be vaccinated against hepatitis B. Importance is placed on understanding patient medical histories to ensure safe practice and to minimise risk exposure during procedures.
Immediate Injury Management
Focused on immediate response protocols, this section instructs learners on how to manage sharps injuries through bleeding, washing, covering, and reporting, with additional guidance on seeking medical advice and reporting requirements.
Managing Contaminated Sharps Injuries
Learners will gain knowledge of protocols to manage contaminated sharps injuries, featuring step-by-step actions for injured nurses, reporting protocols, risk assessments, and considerations for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
Reporting to HSE and RIDDOR Compliance
This section provides guidance on when sharps injuries must be reported under RIDDOR, delineating responsibilities between the injured nurse and practice leadership to ensure proper documentation and compliance.
Prevention and Safe Handling
Learners are educated on preventive measures, the importance of safer sharps systems, and proper handling techniques for instruments like local anaesthetic needles, matrix bands, and scalpel blades to prevent accidental injuries.
Sharps Disposal Practices
Here, learners will learn about UK regulations for sharps disposal, including the correct use of sharps bins, the disposal of extracted teeth, and maintenance of hazardous waste records, ensuring compliance and safety in dental practice.
Disinfection and Decontamination
Advice on minimising risks during instrument cleaning is provided, with emphasis on PPE use, safe handling, and recommendations to avoid scrubbing. It underscores proper waste segregation in the decontamination process.
Policy and Compliance
This section sets forth the importance of written sharps management policies, aligning with the EU Sharps Directive. It specifies the roles of infection leads and dental nurses in maintaining compliance and keeping practice protocols up-to-date.
Course Completion
Participants will assess their understanding through multiple-choice questions to ensure knowledge retention. Upon successful completion, they will receive recognition of their learning achievements, contributing to their professional development in sharps safety.