Community nurses, also known as district nurses, provide high quality care in the community outside of a hospital environment. If you’re looking to take up one of our many community nurse jobs, you’re likely to find yourself at patients’ homes, GP surgeries and residential care homes. Being a community nurse requires good listening skills and the ability to relate to people of all backgrounds. A passion for care and patience for teaching are also important qualities within this profession as the work includes educating others on the basics of healthcare. 

Professionals in community nurse jobs will work extremely varied shift patterns, visiting patients with a range of conditions. Clients will usually include elderly people with health concerns, physically disabled people and those with terminal illnesses. Patients are often referred to community nurses for follow-up treatment after discharge from a hospital or on the advice of their GP. The daily tasks for a community nurse cover a lot of ground, ranging from the assessment and treatment of wounds to helping diabetic patients manage their condition.

Nurses working in a community role will typically:

• Assess patients and plan for their ongoing care

• Carry out clinical nursing procedures

• Take urine and blood samples, administer medicine, dress wounds and set up drips

• Provide management for registered and non-registered staff, and those who are training

• Give emotional support to patients and families

To be eligible for community nursing jobs, you will need between one and two years’ experience as a qualified Adult Nurse and a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) approved degree is essential. It will also help to have completed, or at least be working towards, qualifications in management and leadership.