District nurse
District nurses care for people outside of hospital in patients' homes, GP surgeries and residential care homes.
Typical Salary
£37,000 – £53,000
per year
Working Hours
37–40
hours per week
Day-to-day tasks
In this role you could:
- give drugs and injections and treat wounds
- check breathing and take temperatures and blood pressures
- help doctors with physical examinations and set up drips
- monitor the quality of care a patient receives
- give emotional support and advice to patients and their families
- teach basic caring skills where needed
Skills needed
- 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
- the ability to work well with others
- knowledge of biology
- active listening skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to get into this role
You can get into this job through an apprenticeship or working towards this role.
Career 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