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District nurse
Hours
Variable
Starting salary
£24,000 + per year
As a district nurse, you would care for people in a variety of non-hospital settings. These could include patients' homes, GP surgeries and residential care homes. If you like variety and enjoy working at different locations, this nursing role could be perfect for you.
To be a district nurse you will need to be able to relate to people of all ages and backgrounds. You will need to be a good talker and listener. You’ll also need patience and understanding.
You will usually need between one and two years' professional experience as a qualified adult nurse before you can begin training as a district nurse. To qualify as a nurse you will need a Nursing and Midwifery Council approved degree or Diploma of Higher Education.
WorkDesc
The work
Your work would involve visiting clients with a range of conditions on a regular basis - sometimes several times a day. You would assess and respond quickly to their needs, and plan and manage their care. Your community-based support could help patients avoid being admitted to hospital, or mean that they can be discharged from hospital quicker.
Your clients would typically include:
- older people with health problems
- those with terminal illnesses
- people who are physically disabled.
Your day-to-day duties could include:
- administering drugs
- checking temperature, blood pressure and breathing
- assisting doctors with physical examinations
- giving injections
- cleaning and dressing wounds
- monitoring or setting up intravenous drips
- providing emotional support and practical advice to patients and their families
- teaching basic caring skills where needed.
You could also be involved in running clinics, for example, for people with diabetes, and in carrying out a range of emergency procedures. This could be, for example, when arriving at the scene of an accident, or when a client has taken a fall, had an injury or a cardiac arrest.
HoursDesc
Hours
Evening and weekend work is becoming increasingly common, and in many services you will work a shift between the hours of 8 am and 8 pm. You may also be on an on-call rota covering hours outside standard service times.
You would usually be based at a health centre, as part of a community health care team. You are likely to travel extensively within the geographical area your service covers.
IncomeDesc
Income
District nurses can earn between £24,000 and £33,500 a year, and team managers can earn up to £39,300 a year.
Extra allowances can be earned for additional responsibilities and length of service.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
You will usually need between one and two years' professional experience as a qualified adult nurse before you can begin training as a district nurse.
To qualify as a nurse you will need a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) approved degree or Diploma of Higher Education.
Please see the adult nurse job profiles for more information.
Training to become a district nurse involves taking a (shortened) degree or postgraduate programme leading to registration as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse - District Nursing (course titles may vary).
Check the NMC website for a list of approved programmes.
Courses can be full-time or part-time. You could fund yourself or you may be able to find a vacancy, for example on the NHS Jobs website, that includes working under supervision, receiving a salary and studying for the specialist qualification.
You could also contact your local Primary Care Trust or your employer (if you are currently working as a nurse in the NHS) about student sponsorship opportunities.
Your training will include practical community placements and studying areas such as:
- community practice
- care management
- public health
- clinical practice development
- leadership skills.
You are likely to need a driving licence for this work.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
As a qualified nurse you will need to renew your registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) every three years. To re-register you must:
- have worked a minimum of 450 hours
- show that you are developing your knowledge and competence and keeping up to date in your practice
- complete a minimum of 35 hours' professional study every three years
- keep records of your professional development.
See the NMC website for more details.
If you have had a break from working as a nurse and your registration has lapsed, you will need to take a return-to-practice course. Courses are available throughout the UK and include a mixture of theory and clinical placements. Contact your local NHS Trust or check the NMC website for a list of approved programmes.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
To be a district nurse, you should have:
- the ability to relate to people of all ages and backgrounds
- excellent communication and listening skills
- an assertive, confident and flexible approach
- tact, understanding, patience and sensitivity
- the ability to teach others how to carry out routine nursing tasks
- good teamwork skills and the ability to work alone
- good timekeeping
- a thorough approach to record-keeping and good organisational skills
- the ability to anticipate and identify potential health problems.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) 
23 Portland Place
London
W1B 1PZ
Tel: 020 7333 9333
www.nmc-uk.org
Queens University of Belfast
School of Nursing and Midwifery
Medical Biology Centre
97 Lisburn Road
Belfast
BT9 7BL
Tel: 028 9097 2233
www.qub.ac.uk
University of Ulster at Jordanstown
School of Nursing
Shore Road
Newtownabbey
Co Antrim
BT37 0QB
Tel: 08700 400 700
www.ulster.ac.uk
NHS Careers
PO Box 2311
Bristol
BS2 2ZX
Tel: 0345 60 60 655
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association
33-37 Moreland Street
London
EC1V 8HA
Tel: 020 7505 3000
http://www.unitetheunion.org/cphva
Health Learning and Skills Advice Line
Tel: 08000 150850
National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Healthcare
Innovation House
Bridgend Road
Llanharan
CF72 9RP
Tel: 01443 233 333
www.nliah.wales.nhs.uk/
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
You will find most jobs with local Primary Care Trusts, and you will usually be attached to one or more GP surgeries.
With experience you could lead a team of nurses, and with around five years' experience you could progress to community matron. You could go into general health service management or progress to head of community nursing.
Other options are to move into health promotion, research, education (nurse training/teaching) or working with a statutory nursing body developing training. You may also have the option of working overseas, especially in developing countries.
You may find the following websites useful for vacancies and general reading (links open in a new window):
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.
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Related industry information
Industry summary
The health sector is represented by Skills for Health Sector Skills Council, which comprises three sub‐sectors:
- National Health Service (NHS)
- Independent Healthcare Sector (such as private and charitable healthcare providers)
- Third Sector (healthcare) (such as small local community and voluntary groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts, social enterprises and co‐operatives)
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:
- primary care (organisations which the public goes to first) – Doctors/General Practitioners (GPs), NHS Walk in Centres, NHS Direct, Out of Hours Emergency Care
- secondary care (organisations which the public are referred onto) – Ambulance Trusts, NHS Trusts/hospitals, NHS Foundation Trusts/hospitals, Mental Health Trusts, Care Trusts (provide joint health and social care activities)
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:
- The health sector is the largest employer in the UK, representing 5.5% of the working age population of the UK and 7.3% of the working age population that are currently in employment.
- It is estimated that the sector employs over 2 million people, including:
- over 1.5 million people in the NHS (72%)
- over 0.5 million people in the Independent Healthcare sector (26%)
- almost 40,000 in the voluntary sector (2%)
- 56% of the workforce has a higher education qualification (or equivalent).
- The age profile for the sector shows an older than average workforce, which is due in part to the fact that it takes some professions a long time to train and can mean that people enter the sector later.
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.
National and regional data
High proportions of the health sector workforce are located in:
- London
- South East
- North West
East Midlands - The health sector employs 131,515 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East Midlands employs 8% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 29% of all employment across the sector or 41,200 employees.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
East of England - The health sector employs 164,720 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East of England employs 9.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 52,300 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 14% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 103,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
London - The health sector employs over 249,524 people, which accounts for 6% of all the employment in the region.
- London employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 33% of all employment across the sector or 78,500 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 146,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North East - The health sector employs 89,201 people, which accounts for 8.7% of all employment in the region.
- The North East employs 5.3 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 23,800 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be almost 46,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North West - The health sector employs 251,960 people, which accounts for 8% of all employment in the region.
- The North West employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South East - The health sector employs 264,071 people, which accounts for 7.1% of all employment in the region.
- The South East employs 15.7% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 164,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South West - The health sector employs 182,187 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- The South West employs 10.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 60,700 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 105,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
West Midlands - The health sector employs 168,746 people, which accounts for 7.2% of all employment in the region.
- The West Midlands employs 10% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 43,000 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 9% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 108,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Yorkshire and the Humber - The health sector employs 182,848 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- Yorkshire and the Humber employ 10.9 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 24% of the total health care workforce or 42,000 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 97,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Northern Ireland - The health sector employs 61,300 people.
- Northern Ireland employs 3% of the total health sector workforce.
- 81% of the workforce is female.
- 26% of the workforce is aged 35‐44 years.
- 96% of the workforce is white.
- 10% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 48% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Scotland - The health sector employs 201,500 people.
- Scotland employs 10% of the total health sector workforce.
- 78% of the workforce is female.
- 30% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 95% of the workforce is white.
- 14% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 39% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Wales - The health sector employs 114,900 people.
- Wales employs 6% of the total health sector workforce.
- 74% of the workforce is female.
- 34% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 94% of the workforce is white.
- 18% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 40% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 27% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2008‐2009, Annual Business Inquiry, 2007, and Northern Ireland Census of Employment, 2007]
Career paths
Further sources
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