Practice nurse

You must be a qualified and registered adult, child, mental health or learning disability nurse to work in general practice.

You may have an advantage when applying for jobs if you've got experience in:

• chronic disease management, like diabetes or asthma
• childhood immunisation
• cervical cytology
• phlebotomy - taking blood

Some employers may also ask that you've completed a Specialist Practitioner - General Practice Nursing course, approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

If you've been out of nursing for a while you could do a Return to general practice nursing course. You don't need previous general practice experience, as you can do placements in the community to help you move into general practice roles.

Registration

• you'll need to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a practice nurse from Health Careers.

You'll need:

• counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
• knowledge of psychology
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• sensitivity and understanding
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• to be flexible and open to change
• customer service skills
• knowledge of English language
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

As part of your day-to-day duties, you could:

• set up and run clinics for conditions like asthma, diabetes, heart problems and skin disorders
• offer advice on family planning and contraception
• take blood and urine samples and other specimens and swabs
• perform routine procedures like ear syringing, applying and removing dressings and treating wounds
• offer specialist information and advice on blood pressure, weight control and stopping smoking
• carry out infant injections, vaccinations and travel immunisations
• give advice to patients on long-term medical and nursing needs

You could work at a GP practice.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.

You may need to wear a uniform.