District Nurse(specialism of Nurse)

Do you want to become a District Nurse(specialism of Nurse)? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:

Job Description - Print Page

District nurses (sometimes known as community nurses) provide nursing care for patients in non-hospital settings. They help the elderly, house bound and disabled, those who are suffering from a long-term illness or are terminally ill, and people who have recently been discharged from hospital. They may work in patients' own homes, GP surgeries, health centres and residential care homes.

District nurses assess, plan and manage the care of patients. This includes:

building up good relationships with patients and their families or carers
the administration of drugs, caring for wounds and palliative care (controlling pain and other symptoms)
advising patients and their carers on healthy lifestyles and how to prevent illness
referring to other agencies if a patient has a social problem
supporting patients' families and carers and, where appropriate, teaching them basic care-giving skills
leading a team of more junior staff, qualified and unqualified
managing a caseload of patients and keeping patient records.

District nurses work closely with others, such as GPs, health visitors, social workers, school nurses, occupational therapists and midwives.

Full-time district nurses work 37.5 hours a week. Most work between 8am and 5pm, from Monday to Friday. They spend most of their time visiting people in the community. Their work involves much travelling and a driving licence is normally required. The work can be physically and emotionally demanding. It involves some lifting and standing.

Salaries range from around £21,630 a year for a newly-qualified district nurse, to £34,417 a year for a district nurse team manager. They are paid extra for overtime, shifts, being on call and if they work in or near London. District nurses should:

get on well with all types of people
have tact, understanding, patience and sensitivity
be physically fit and in good health
work well alone and as part of a team.

Most district nurses are employed by the National Health Service (NHS).

District nurses are qualified registered nurses (usually in adult nursing), with at least two years' post-registration experience. For more general information about becoming a nurse, see Nurse. There is no upper age limit for entry to district nursing.

Training is by studying for a degree in district nursing for nurses. Experienced graduate nurses can train through a postgraduate diploma in community healthcare with the specialist qualification in district nursing. A number of universities and colleges offer both courses, which last one year full time, or two years part time.

Experienced district nurses can specialise in areas such as chronic disease management, wound care or palliative care. They can also progress into management, teaching or research.