Are you interested in working within your community and helping care for others? Learn the steps you need to take to become a district nurse whilst working across a variety of organisations and progressing with your career.
Jobs and entry criteria for the Level 7 District Nurse Apprenticeship
The district nurse apprenticeship provides opportunities for an apprentice to learn skills in various different organisations and settings for example; primary care, social care, third sector organisations, hospitals including mental health, hospices, prisons and other community services to ensure that patients get the right care, at the right time, every time. Upon graduating from the scheme an average district nurse salary in the UK is £33k with various opportunities following graduation to progress. The district nurse apprenticeship provides outstanding opportunities for your future career pathway and progression onto senior district nurse or a community matron with an achievable salary of £40-47k.
Ready for something new and exciting? The entry requirements for the district nurse apprenticeship include a minimum requirement of Level 3 English and Maths, and already be a registered nurse with 1 – 2 years’ experience. If you haven’t got up to date English and Maths certificates, you will get the opportunity to complete these if needed.
Key responsibilities of a Level 7 District Nurse Apprenticeship
The primary role of a data analyst is to provide end of life care management, make diagnostic decisions, lead caseload management, responsibility for care planning, promote health education, empower and engage the team, participate in research to improve care, implement risk management and manage the evolving shape of services.
District Nurse day to day tasks
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for their own work as an autonomous, independent practitioner, whilst contributing and leading collaborative work with other health and care professionals. Here are some examples of day to day tasks you will undertake:
- give drugs and injections and treat wounds
- check breathing and take temperatures and blood pressures
- help doctors with physical examinations and set up drips
- monitor the quality of care a patient receives
- give emotional support and advice to patients and their families
- teach basic caring skills where needed
Knowledge and skills required
As a district nurse you will need to equip yourself with the knowledge to anticipate problems, and crises and proactively plan to prevent unnecessary hospital admission and facilizing discharge across a range of patient pathways. Demonstrating that you have the knowledge and skills you will need to have the following understandings:
- sensitivity and understanding
- excellent verbal communication skills
- counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- knowledge of biology
- active listening skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
These elements are vital to becoming a successful district nurse and help to show that you are proficient at perusing a career leading others and showing example.
Conclusion
As you have learnt, the level 7 district nurse is an great progression point for any nurse looking to progress and further their career for themselves and their community. The core skills covered will open up a range of further job opportunities. For examples the Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner Level 7 Professional Apprenticeship. Keen apprentices help to help the future and employers are looking for proactive works willing to learn and progress. The type of job roles that will open up over the coming years following your studies will be endless.
For a more assistance for this apprenticeship, you should check out our post on the national career service website or visit our website to read about other tips and tricks for apprenticeships.