District nurses, also known as community nurses, visit patients regularly in their homes and in residential care homes, giving skilled, practical nursing care. They act as a link with local doctors, social workers and other services and play an important part in reducing the need for people to stay in hospital.

The Work

You could be:

• visiting patients newly out of hospital
• assessing the care needs of patients
• treating people who have long term medical conditions or are in pain
• attending people who are terminally ill and giving support to their family members
• showing patients how to care for themselves, or showing their relatives how to care for them
• dressing wounds, administering drugs, giving baths, checking blood pressure, giving injections
• advising on healthy living
• picking up any problems and referring patients to social workers, GPs, public health nurses, occupational therapists or other professionals.

You work mainly with older people but sometimes with other age groups.

Pay

Under the NHS salary system Agenda for Change, as a district nurse you will be on Band 6, £39,912 to £48,635 a year. You can earn more on overtime and shift allowances. The current pay scales are from April 2024.

Conditions

• You spend much of your time travelling to patients’ homes.
• You also see patients in health centres, clinics and surgeries.
• In rural areas you may take on a number of roles.
• The work is physically and emotionally strenuous. 
• Hours are mainly regular but you might have to work some weekends and evenings.
• You might have to be on call at times.

Useful Subjects

• Biology
• Care
• Human Biology
• SfW Health and Social Care
• Social Services and Healthcare (SCQF Level 6) (FA) (FA)

Getting In

• You must first qualify as a registered nurse (see Nurse - Adult).
• After qualifying as a registered nurse you must register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
• You would then study for a post-registration qualification in district nursing. NMC approved courses are offered by Glasgow Caledonian, Queen Margaret and Robert Gordon universities.
• You will require a satisfactory criminal record check from Disclosure Scotland to show that you are suitable for this type of work. Contact Disclosure Scotland for details on the type you would need.
• You should have a good level of physical fitness. You will undergo health screening.
• You need a driving licence and may also need a car.

Most district or community nurses work for the National Health Service (NHS). You can find NHS job vacancies in Scotland by visiting NHS Scotland Recruitment.

Job Outlook Scotland

Job Outlook Scotland and UK

  Scotland

2024

11072

1 %

RISE

2029

11187

  United Kingdom

2024

116810

4 %

RISE

2029

121454

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What Does it Take?

You should be:

• able to work alone
• a good communicator
• very observant and have good judgement
• willing to listen to others
• adaptable and resourceful
• well organised
• confident and assertive
• patient and tactful
• able to make decisions.

Training

• Training is on the job. You would attend university on a part time basis.
• You would continue to do supervised work in the community.
• To continue working as a nurse you must renew your registration with the NMC every three years.

Getting On

• To renew your NMC registration you must keep your skills and knowledge up to date, by undertaking at least 35 hours of relevant Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and 450 of practice hours every three years. Full details can be found on NMC website.
• You could take further courses in special aspects of district nursing.

Video

Contacts

The following organisations may be able to provide further information.