Raising concerns at work as a dental nurse can be a daunting task for some, yet it should be the easiest thing we do. Whether it’s because you’re afraid of confrontation, or you find yourself bogged down by extra unnecessary details while you have a meltdown or panic, there are a few steps you can take that will give you the confidence to make it a much easier process.
Summarise
It’s easier to go into a meeting with a pointed list of your concerns rather than having it all disordered in your head, so summarising is a must. Start by writing down your concerns in whatever way comes most naturally to you. Then, review the writing and identify the main points; the areas that you want to address and improve. These points will be your go-to in your meeting so that things are kept on track, and it will help with your confidence if you have them to refer to when needed. For example:
First write-up – “My concern is that I am having to redo a lot of Sue’s work because she isn’t following the procedure correctly in decon, and she leaves a mess when cleaning down the surgery and misses areas which I then have to clean up when I’m next in. This is on top of my own cleaning and instrument processing, and I’m finding it hard to keep up when I’m having to do hers, too. I don’t think it’s fair for me to have to do both of our cleaning or processing.”
Summary – “Sue is not doing decon properly. Sue is not cleaning down the surgery properly. My workload is unfairly increasing to correct these mistakes.”
This simple bit of organisation can keep you on-topic, calm and focused without unnecessary details or repetition – remember, all you’re doing is asking a simple question: wat can be done to make this situation better?
Request the Meeting
To raise your concerns correctly, you need to address the right member of staff. While it can be tempting to go to your colleagues to vent and complain, they will not be the ones who can effect change. Therefore, it’s important that you take your concerns to your manager or employer. You can do this in a few different ways:
- The best way is to request a one-to-one meeting with your manager where you can discuss your concerns and potential solutions. Start the communication by asking one question so that your intention is clear and concise – “I have some concerns I’d like to discuss with you. When can we set up a meeting to talk?”. Management should be open to hearing what you have to say and should therefore be happy to arrange a meeting as soon as possible.
- If setting a date and time is part of what you find difficult, then try a more informal approach by popping into your manager’s office during your shift and asking for a chat: “Do you have a moment to talk in private? I have some concerns I’d like to discuss with you.” This opens the door for communication, without the daunting wait for a planned meeting, which can get you worked up.
- As a last resort, you could send an email while you’re at home which outlines your concerns and requests a resolution to make improvements. Use your list to craft the email in a concise manner, and make sure to end it with a clear phrase of what you want as an outcome; for example: Recent behaviours have given me cause for concern, and I have outlined the main points of these below [follow with bullet points of your main issues]. I hope we can reach a productive solution which will see these concerns addressed and will also improve the standards of care we offer in our practice.
- Just remember: emails do provide a paper trail should it be needed, but also have a longer resolution period than face-to-face meetings.
For any discussion you have, it can be helpful to take along your notes so that you can make sure your concerns are fully addressed during the discussion.
In the Meeting
Once you are in your meeting, whether it’s a quick chat or a more formal one-to-one, it’s time to keep your cool and focus on the issue at hand.
- Take a drink with you – sipping a drink when you’re struggling to focus or feeling overwhelmed will give you a break and a moment to catch your thoughts.
- Take a list of main points to refer to whenever you feel like you’re off-topic or overwhelmed, and use them as a checklist to ensure everything has been addressed.
- Listen to the feedback given – your manager may have noticed the issue already and have things in place, or they may want your ideas on what can be done to drive improvements.
- Ask when a resolution will be reached – the deadline does not need to be set in stone, but having one encourages action and gives you peace of mind that something will be done.
Follow-Up
If you need to follow the discussion up and see if a solution has been reached, or if you feel that the actions taken have not resulted in any improvements, then you can approach your manager with another simple question: “Has there been a resolution to what we discussed recently?”. If a solution was reached but the improvements are not adequate, then you can raise this too: “I don’t feel that the implemented solution is working, and there are still issues. Is there something else we can do?”
Summary
Raising work concerns can be a scary concept for many people, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. With the correct preparation, and by being calm and concise in your communication, you can gather the courage and confidence to talk to your management about your concerns and ensure a solution is reached promptly.
By Natasha Garthwaite BSc, RDN