District nurse

You'll visit people with health conditions or disabilities in the community to assess their needs and treat them. You'll aim to maximise each person's health potential.

You’ll deliver nursing care in people's homes, or in homely settings such as care homes. Your support means that people may not have to go into hospital or that they can get out of hospital sooner.

Your patients could be:

• older people with health problems

• people with terminal illnesses

• people who are physically disabled

• recently discharged from hospital

You'll go and see them regularly, sometimes once or twice a day.

As a district nurse, you'll assess and respond quickly to their needs. You’ll find out more about their situation by talking and listening to them patiently and sensitively. You’ll plan and manage their care, identifying potential health problems.

Your tasks might include:

• administering drugs, including injections

• checking temperature, blood pressure and breathing

• cleaning and dressing wounds

• setting up and monitoring intravenous (IV) drips

• giving emotional and practical support to patients and their families

• helping the patient to self-manage and feel more independent, when appropriate

You could be involved in running clinics, for example for people with diabetes.

District nurses also carry out a range of emergency procedures, for example if a patient has fallen, had an accident or a cardiac arrest.

• NHS Scotland Careers – Find out more about becoming a nurse in Scotland

• NHS Scotland Careers blog – Read Sarah's story about balancing life as a community nurse and military spouse

• Nursing and Midwifery Council – Find out more about becoming a nurse in the UK