Hours
37.5 per week
Starting salary
£30,500 + per year
As a community matron, you would work to improve the health and quality of life of people with very intensive needs or long-term health conditions. You would co-ordinate care provision ensuring the provision of nursing and clinical care in a variety of settings, including patients homes, residential and nursing homes and prisons.
The aim of your role would be to:
You would manage a caseload of patients with a variety of complex health issues. Your work with patients would include:
You would develop and promote multi-disciplinary working by working closely with other health and social care professionals, voluntary services and carers to provide support to patients that takes into account their physical, mental, emotional and social needs.
Your work would involve travelling throughout the community, working in a variety of locations including visiting patients in their homes. You would also meet with other health and social care professionals to decide how best to care for patients.
You would typically work 37.5 hours a week, between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday, though this can vary depending on the nature of the job.
Caring for people suffering with long-term illness can be very demanding, both physically and emotionally.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
To become a community matron, you will usually need:
Some employers will also expect you to have:
You are likely to need a driving licence and access to a car.
Once you are working as a community matron, you will usually be encouraged by your employer to study advanced clinical nursing practice at Masters degree level.
You will be expected to continue training and developing your clinical skills throughout your career.
Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) 23 Portland PlaceLondonW1B 1PZTel: 020 7333 9333www.nmc-uk.org
Skills for Health Goldsmiths HouseBroad PlainBristolBS2 0JPTel: 0117 922 1155www.skillsforhealth.org.uk
NHS Careers PO Box 2311BristolBS2 2ZX Tel: 0345 60 60 655www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association 33-37 Moreland StreetLondon EC1V 8HA Tel: 020 7505 3000www.amicustheunion.org/cphva
Most jobs are within community settings of a primary care or foundation trust. You may also find vacancies advertised through the local and national press, NHS Jobs and Nursing Times.
As an experienced and qualified community matron, you may be able to progress to service management level and become head of community nursing.
You could also move into related careers such as health promotion work or teaching and training nurses and community practitioners.
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
The health sector is represented by Skills for Health Sector Skills Council, which comprises three sub‐sectors:
The health sector is made up of hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, the ambulance service, nursing homes, residential care homes, complementary medicine and a huge range of other health related activities, from sight tests in opticians to research in medical laboratories. Most people in the health sector work in the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS), which includes:
NHS policy in England is directed from the centre by the Department of Health. Local organisations, known as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), are in charge of providing and commissioning services, controlling the majority of the budget. PCTs are overseen by 10 regional organisations called Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).
The independent sector includes companies and charities that offer hospital and specialist services usually after referral from a doctor. Operations and other work are carried out in private hospitals, independent treatment centres, mental health units and hospices.
Key facts:
There is a varied list of jobs in the sector ranging from a diverse number of clinical roles, to support and infrastructure staff, for instance: Allied Health Professionals (AHPs); Ambulance Staff; Dental Staff; Doctors/Medical staff; Nursing staff; Midwifery Staff; Healthcare Scientists; Health Informatics Staff; Management; Wider Healthcare Team; Complementary Therapists.
High proportions of the health sector workforce are located in:
[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2008‐2009, Annual Business Inquiry, 2007, and Northern Ireland Census of Employment, 2007]
NHS Careers has sections on:
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