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 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 qualified as a registered nurse, preferably for a minimum of two years, with current NMC registration.

Community Treatment and Care (CTAC)/Immunisation Treatment Room Nursing 

Treatment Room nurses are based in GP Practices or NHS Grampian Hubs. They deliver treatments such as phlebotomy, wound care, ECGs, injections and vaccinations to the general practice populations. Part of their remit is to gather biometric information from patients for the management of long-term conditions. They work closely with General Practice Nurses and other members of the multi-disciplinary team to provide a holistic primary care service. 

 CTAC/Immunisation Posts will appear on the NHS Scotland jobs website. 

• Please direct queries for Aberdeenshire: gram.ctacsleadsaberdeenshire@nhs.scot 
• Please direct queries for Aberdeen City:  gram.ctacservice@nhs.scot 
• Please direct queries for Moray: gram.ctacmoray@nhs.scot 

General Practice Nursing 

General Practice Nurses are key members 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 with specialisms such as long-term condition management i.e. asthma, diabetes; women’s health and sexual health. NHS Education for Scotland provides an education pathway specifically for GPNs.  

Many practices in Grampian are owned by GPs who 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. To be a GPN in general practice you must be a qualified and registered Adult, Child, Mental Health or Learning Disability nurse.  

Some of the services you may deliver are: 

• Family planning and women’s health including cervical smears
• Sexual health services 
• Chronic disease management 

Health Visiting 

Working in full partnership with all early year's services in the local area which includes:

• 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 

To become a Health Visitor, you need a recognised nursing or midwifery degree and be registered with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). You are required to undertake post registration training, the Advanced Practice Course with MSc Degree is available and the link provides an outline of the course. 

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 several 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 - 01224 559125 or 07971 391 096 
• Aberdeenshire - 07825 844 920 
• Moray - 07917 266 619 

School Nursing 

School 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. 

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. 

I would like to become a School Nurse 

To become a School Nurse, you would have a recognised nursing or midwifery degree and be registered with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). You are required to undertake post registration training, the Advanced Practice Course with MSc Degree  is available at RGU, the link provides an outline of the course. 

I am a qualified School Nurse 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 Scotland Recruitment website and frequently updated.  To arrange an informal chat with a member of the team please contact: 

• Aberdeen City - 01224 559125 or 07971 391 096 
• Aberdeenshire - 07825 844 920 
• Moray - 07917 266 619 or email gram.morayschoolnursingservice@nhs.scot 

Published: 11/11/2024 14:07