District nurse
District nurses care for patients in their own homes, GP surgeries, community clinics and residential care homes.
- Starter salary£40,000 a year
- Experienced£57,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 40 a week
What you'll do
As a district nurse, you could:
- visit patients within a local area to check on their condition
- give medicines to patients and dress wounds
- monitor patients' breathing, temperature and blood pressure
- manage a caseload of patients and a team of nurses
- check the quality of care a patient receives
- work closely with community health groups and social care teams
- give emotional support and advice to patients and their relatives
- teach caring skills to patients and their families so they can do basic healthcare tasks themselves
Working environment
You could work in the community or at a health centre.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and you'll travel often.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- the ability to work well with others
- sensitivity and understanding
- excellent verbal communication skills
- counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- knowledge of biology
- active listening skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a district nurse
You can get into this job through an apprenticeship or working towards this role.
Apprenticeship
You may be able to apply for a Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner Level 7 Apprenticeship, if you have the support of your employer.
Entry requirements
To do this apprenticeship, you'll need:
- to be a registered nurse
Work
You can apply for district nurse training if you're a registered nurse with 1 or 2 years' experience, for example as an adult nurse or children's nurse.
You'll complete a course in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing - District Nursing, approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council .
Your training will last 1 to 2 years and include practical community placements.
You can contact your local health trust or your employer about student training sponsorship opportunities.
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
You may need a full driving licence for some jobs.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could:
- become a senior district nurse or a community matron
- provide advanced care as a specialist community practitioner
- move into general health service management or become head of community nursing
- work in research, education or health promotion
Career tips
You would be expected to have an understanding of how the NHS values would apply in your work.
Registration
- you'll need to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleNurse
- Job roleChildren's nurse
- Job roleMental health nurse
- Job roleCommunity matron
- Job roleHealth visitor
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0