Community health nurses are an especially prepared registered nurse whose work combines elements of both primary care nursing and public health practice that takes place within patient homes, schools and clinics.
The community health nurse conducts a continuing and comprehensive practice that is preventive, curative, and rehabilitative.
Nurses delivering care in the community include District Nursing, Health Visiting, General Practice Nursing and School Nursing.
District nurses have a crucial role in the primary healthcare team. They visit people in their own homes or in residential care homes, providing increasingly complex care and supporting family members.
A District Nurse will:-- assess the healthcare needs of the client
- be professionally accountable for the delivery and monitoring of care
- be accountable for their own client caseload
Clients on the District Nurses caseload can be any age, but often they will be elderly, while others may have been recently discharged from hospital, be terminally ill or have physical disabilities.
District Nurses visit clients on a regular basis to deliver care offering help, advice and support. District Nurses work, mostly on their own, but are part of a larger multi-disciplinary team.
District Nurses play a vital role in keeping hospital admissions and re-admissions to a minimum and ensuring that clients can return safely to their own homes and live independently.
As well as providing direct care, District Nurses have a teaching and support role, with students and other members of the community nursing team. They also work with clients to enable them to care for themselves or with family members teaching them how to give care to their relatives.
It is a well known fact that our population is living longer and an increasing number of people are living with long-term conditions. District Nursing has a vital role in the NHS, empowering people to be cared for in their own homes and in the community setting.
To qualify as a District Nurse you need to undertake the Specialist Practice District Nursing Education. Universities within Scotland that offer the Specialist Practice in District Nursing are Robert Gordon University, Queen Margaret University and Glasgow Caledonian University. NHS Grampian can sometimes offer the opportunity to undertake the training whilst being placed in a District Nurse Trainee role which includes working under supervision, receiving a salary and studying for the required qualification. If applying for a DN Trainee role you would need to be a qualified and registered nurse with the NMC for a minimum of two years.
Nurses play an important role within general practice; as part of a multi-disciplinary team they provide care to the practice population. With more care being delivered in the community the GPN role is wide and varied.
The majority of practices in Grampian are owned by GP's and they employ all the staff as they are independent contractors, there are one or two practices which are 2c practices which means that all staff who work there are employed by the Health and Social Care Partnership. Other practices are known as 17c practices they too are independent contractors but they have a specific agreement with the Health Board.
There is a career pathway for nurses with General Practice from Health Care Support Worker to Advanced Nurse Practitioner.
To be a GPN in general practice you must be a qualified and registered Adult, Child, Mental Health or Learning Disability nurse. It is likely you will need to undertake further training and education prior to being appointed.
Some of the services you may deliver are :- minor and complex wound management including leg ulcers
- travel health advice and vaccinations
- child immunisations and advice
- family planning & women's health including cervical smears
- sexual health services
- chronic disease management
- Delivery of the core Health Visitor Pathway, reviewing in partnership with parents and carers, the health and development of pre-school children and involving the family in promoting optimum health and development of all children.
- Provide the named person service for all children from birth to entry to school at 5yrs.
- Working with parents, using strengths based approach to promote positive lifestyle choices and support positive parenting practices to ensure the best start in life for the child.
- Providing responsive care when families have problems or need support or preventative interventions in response to predicted, assessed or expressed need.
- Identifying developmental and health needs early and signposting referring for investigation, diagnosis, treatment, care and support.
- Identifying and working with complex or vulnerable children and families where additional ongoing support is required.
- Ensuring appropriate safeguards and interventions are in place to reduce their risks and improve future health and wellbeing.
- Sharing information and communicating with other health professionals and agencies where there are concerns about wellbeing of a child.
- Working with local communities, other healthcare professionals, Local Authority, Voluntary Sector and other agencies to improve family and community capacity and champion health promotion and the reduction of health inequalities.
I would like to become a Health Visitor
Practising as a Health Visitor requires a degree from a recognised institution and registration to practice from the Nursing and Midwifery Council. The MSc Advancing Nursing Practice – Health Visiting course in Aberdeen is available at Robert Gordon University. The programme is aimed at registered nurses and midwives, with experience in acute or primary care settings, who wish to build on their experience and transfer their learning in order to develop the higher level of knowledge and skills required for specialist and advanced practice.I am currently training to be a Health Visitor
Nurses undertaking their course with Robert Gordon University will have their placements within Grampian. Whilst at university and in clinical practice there are a number of support mechanisms available to ensure you have a positive experience and develop your learning.I am a qualified Health Visitor and considering a move to Grampian
We are pleased to hear you are interested in joining one of our teams. Vacancies are advertised on the NHS Grampian Recruitment website and updated weekly. To arrange an informal chat with a member of the team please contact: Aberdeen City Nicola Anderson - Tel: 01224 558489 Sue McFadyen - Tel: 01224 558705 Aberdeenshire Hazel Robertson - Tel: 07825 844920 Moray Jennie Williams - Tel: 07876 258845 Elaine Schiavone - Tel: 07814 769826School nursing is a universally accessible service that is non-stigmatising and accepted by most families and school communities. School nurses are employed by Health and Social Care Partnerships.
School nursing interventions reduce problems throughout childhood and adolescence, promote self-care and resilience in communities, and prevent ill health occurring in the first place. This supports long-term health and wellbeing and the increased likelihood of children growing up to be healthy adults. School nurses make a significant contribution to addressing health issues that are relevant to school age children and their families and understand the cultures of both education and health. The school nurse has a key role in shaping and influencing policies across the school environment.
The current emphasis on educational attainment highlights the value of the school nurse because a healthy child has an increased capacity to learn and achieve full potential. The school nurse aims to promote health by encouraging children and young people to make healthy lifestyle choices, concentrating on periods of transition and vulnerable children, young people and families.
State secondary schools have a confidential 'Open Door Policy', where the school nurse is available to offer advice and support to children, young people and their families on issues such as:
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Self-esteem
- Bullying and emotional support
- Sexual health education (appropriate to child's age)
- Smoking/drug education
- Relationships
- Nutrition and exercise
- Dental Health
- Advice and information on immunisations
- Advice and information on common medical and chronic conditions
School nurses also have a key role in protecting children and child protection. The role also includes working closely with multidisciplinary health professionals and multi sector agencies.
As well as providing direct care, school nurses have a teaching and support role, with students and other members of the community nursing team and wider multi sector partners.
To qualify as a School Nurse you need to undertake the Specialist School Nursing MSc Education at a University. Please visit the following University websites for more details:- Robert Gordon University, Queen Margaret University, University of the West of Scotland. NHS Grampian can sometimes offer the opportunity to undertake the training whilst being placed in a School Nurse Trainee role which includes working under supervision, receiving a salary and studying for the required qualification. If applying for a School Nurse Trainee role you would need to be qualified and registered nurse with NMC registration for a minimum of two years.
For an informal chat please contact:
Dr Elaine Allan Lead Nurse - School Nursing Associate Lecturer of the Robert Gordon University Tel: 01224 559907 email: elaine.allan2@nhs.net