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Practice nurse

Alternative titles for this job include

Practice nurses work in GP surgeries to assess, screen, treat and educate patients, and help doctors give medical care.

Average salary (a year)

£24,907 Starter

to

£44,503 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

38 to 40 a week

You could work

evenings / weekends occasionally

How to become a practice nurse

You can get into this job through:

  • applying directly

Direct Application

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.

More Information

Registration

Further information

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

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

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

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

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

Working environment

You could work at a GP practice.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Career path and progression

You could specialise in health promotion, chronic disease management, diabetes or asthma care.

With experience and qualifications you could become a nurse practitioner, managing your own caseload of patients.
 
You could also move into management, teaching or research.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a practice 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 Higher Education Diploma (Nursing)

  • Provider: EALING, HAMMERSMITH & WEST LONDON COLLEGE
  • Start date: 14 September 2021
  • Location: London

Access to HE Diploma in Nursing and Midwifery

  • Provider: BROCKENHURST COLLEGE
  • Start date: 06 September 2021
  • Location: BROCKENHURST
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

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