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District nurse

Alternative titles for this job include

District nurses care for patients in their own homes, GP surgeries, community clinics and residential care homes.

Average salary (a year)

£40,000 Starter

to

£57,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

37 to 40

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on a rota

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through an apprenticeship or working towards this role.

Apprenticeship

You may be able to apply for a Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner Level 7 Apprenticeship, if you have the support of your employer.

Entry requirements

To do this apprenticeship, you'll need:

  • to be a registered nurse

More Information

Work

You can apply for district nurse training if you're a registered nurse with 1 or 2 years' experience, for example as an adult nurse or children's nurse.

You'll complete a course in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing - District Nursing, approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Your training will last 1 to 2 years and include practical community placements.

You can contact your local health trust or your employer about student training sponsorship opportunities.

More Information

Registration

Career tips

You'll be expected to understand how the NHS values apply in your work when applying for a course or apprenticeship.

Further information

You can get more advice about how to become a district nurse from Health Careers.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • the ability to work well with others
  • 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
  • knowledge of biology
  • active listening skills
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

You may need a full driving licence for some jobs.

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a district nurse, you could:

  • visit patients within a local area to check on their condition
  • give medicines to patients and dress wounds
  • monitor patients' breathing, temperature and blood pressure
  • manage a caseload of patients and a team of nurses
  • check the quality of care a patient receives
  • work closely with community health groups and social care teams
  • give emotional support and advice to patients and their relatives
  • teach caring skills to patients and their families so they can do basic healthcare tasks themselves

Working environment

You could work in the community or at a health centre.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and you'll travel often.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and 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

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a district nurse right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Access to HE - Nursing

  • Provider: Harrow, Richmond & Uxbridge Colleges (HRUC)
  • Start date: 09 September 2026
  • Location: Harrow

Access to HE Diploma (Nursing)

  • Provider: BOCK CONSULTANCY & PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT LIMITED
  • Start date: Flexible
  • Location: Not known
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

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