What are community nurses?

Community nurses are compassionate and skilled adult and paediatric nurses who deliver bespoke care to adults, children and the elderly in the community. The range of care they deliver can depend on the client’s requirements and their medical needs. For example, at Pulse Nursing at Home, we specialise in delivering the following types of care to people in the community:

• Acquired brain injury care
• Elderly care
• Palliative care
• Post-operative care
• Airway management care
• Neurological care
• Physical disabilities care
• Spinal injury care

What is the role of a community nurse?

Community nurses play a vital role in the care and support people receive. As well as delivering care to the clients, community nurses will also build strong professional relationships with their colleagues and the client’s family to ensure everything is bespoke to the client’s needs and they feel safe and relaxed in their home.

We’re always looking to grow our team of community nurses at Pulse Nursing at Home; if you’re interested in joining us, look at our latest opportunities in your area here.

What does a community nurse do? 

Delivering care and support to one to a few clients, community nurses meet the needs of each individual regardless of their requirements. They will collaborate with their teams and clinical lead to ensure the care delivered is consistent, high quality and tailored to the client’s current medical and wellbeing needs.

What are the responsibilities of a community nurse?

Community nurses have a range of responsibilities that provide variety in their shifts and scope to develop their knowledge and confidence. Working as a Pulse Nursing at Home community nurse, you can expect to be responsible for:

• Administering medication when required
• Monitoring the client’s airways, which can include tracheostomy management
• Physiotherapy
• Overseeing infection prevention and control
• Monitoring the client’s breathing which can include invasive or non-invasive ventilation management
• Carrying out regular communication with the client, their family and your colleagues
• Ensuring the client’s health and wellbeing remains consistent
• Following a prescribed client plan
• Delivering personal care
• Moving and handling
• Supporting with tissue viability
• Managing the client’s health and general nutrition
• Conducting regular safety checks in the client’s home
• Completing records

Community nurse key skills and qualities 

Community nursing is a very empowering career that provides many opportunities for personal and professional growth along the way. Given the nature of the role and the type of clients’ community nurses care for, they should excel in being resourceful and using their own initiative to solve problems and react quickly to changes in the client’s condition. Communication and teamwork are key skills and qualities a community nurse should possess, as well as being a compassionate individual who aims for the best outcome for those under their care.

What is the difference between a community nurse and district nurse?

Often, the title of a community nurse and district nurse can be used interchangeably and can cause some confusion. So we asked one of our nurses, Nikki to explain the difference.

A community nurse is a registered nurse that works in the community (not in a hospital) without a specialist qualification. They generally have a vast range of responsibilities and can deliver care to one or a few people in their homes which includes:

• Catheter care
• End of life care
• Brain injury care
• Complex care
• Spinal injury care
• Diabetic care 

On the other hand, district nurses have completed a specialist community practitioner qualification at university. District nurses are qualified to carry out all of the above types of care and the following skills: prescribing medication, assessing patient needs, and maintaining a caseload of patients in a hospital setting.

When referring to community nurses and district nurses in an NHS setting, one way to determine which is which is to look at their NHS banding. Essentially, community nurses are band 5 nurses, and district nurses are band 6.

Community nursing jobs with Pulse Nursing at Home 

We’re always looking to grow our team of compassionate adult nurses and paediatric nurses at Pulse Nursing at Home. If you would like to join our team of healthcare professionals, then register with us using the form below, or contact our team on 0333 323 3746 or joinus@pulsenursingathome.co.uk.