Community nurse role and responsibilities 

Community nurses play a vital role in primary care, providing complex and individualised care to a wide range of people. In this article, we explore the role and responsibilities of community nursing, covering:

• What is a community nurse?
• What does a community nurse do?
• Qualifying as a community nurse
• Key skills for the role of a community nurse
• Career progression for community nurses
• Roles in community nursing teams
• Explore community nursing opportunities

What is a community nurse?

A community nurse provides care to people in the community, including their homes or in primary care facilities like general practices or health clinics. They provide specialised care that is tailored to each patient to keep them comfortable, healthy and remain sociable. Part of their role is to prevent patients from having to travel or be admitted to the hospital. Their work in invaluable as some patients may struggle to travel or are immuno-compromised/immuno-suppressed, meaning they’re at greater risk of contracting disease when exposed to others.

Community nursing teams are comprised of various roles that work in a range of community settings to provide services to a variety of people, including in:

• Patient homes
• Residential homes
• GP surgeries
• Clinics
• Schools

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

Sometimes, people use the terms district nurse and community nurse interchangeably even though they are not the same role. Both are registered nurses, but in addition to that, district nurses must complete a specialist practitioner programme training. Community nurses will typically work under the supervision of district nurses, who are on a higher band of the NHS pay scale.

What does a community nurse do?

Whilst community nurses hold many responsibilities when it comes to caring for patients, some of their common duties are:

• Assessing patient and family healthcare needs
• Monitoring the quality of care patients receive
• Having accountability for its administration
• Designing and following a prescribed plan
• Overseeing the overall wellbeing of clients
• Managing patient nutrition
• Enabling the client to remain sociable

Qualifying as a community nurse

If you’re thinking of becoming a community nurse, there are a few ways for you to specialise in this nursing profession.

Working towards the role

Depending on the different nursing roles you will do throughout your career, you may need to join different parts of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register. The only exception to this is if you decide to join the Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (SCPHN) register in addition to your initial enrolment.

University routes

This is the most common way to become a community nurse. All nursing professions require that you complete a university degree so you can join the NMC register. Entry requirements may differ between universities, but you will usually need three A-levels or equivalent including one in health, science or nursing. Once you have become a registered nurse, you can work towards and specialise in community nursing.

Apprenticeships

Depending on your learning style, you could complete a degree apprenticeship in adult nursing and then specialise in community nursing once you have qualified and registered as a nurse. However, if you’re already a registered nurse or midwife, you can complete a Level 7 Specialist Community Public Health Nurse degree apprenticeship to gain your qualification and receive practical training in the role.

Read our guide on nursing interview questions, to give yourself the best chance at securing your dream role.

Key skills for the role of a community nurse

As with any role, there are specific skills that will help you be successful throughout your career. It’s no different in community nursing with relevant skills including:

• Empathy
• Adaptability
• Good organisational skills
• Confidence
• The ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• Leadership and management skills
• Communication skills
• Problem solving

Career progression for community nurses

Working in community nursing presents an excellent opportunity to develop and grow your nursing career. With the relevant experience and training, you could advance your career into:

• Leading a team as a band 7 nurse
• Becoming a district nurse
• Pursuing a career in school nursing
• Teaching and lecturing nursing for qualifying students
• Working in different community settings, such as GP practices and clinics

Roles in community nursing teams

Community nursing teams are made up of a range of roles in the NHS. Whether you’re interested in exploring related roles for a career move or simply want to know who you will work with on a day-to-day basis, here is a list of other health and social care professionals you might encounter:

• Clinical lead/ primary care network leads
• Caseload manager
• Specialist practitioner district nurses
• Complex care nurses
• Community nurses
• Nurse associate
• Apprentice nurse
• Associate practitioner
• Healthcare assistant
• Phlebotomist
• Health and social care coordinator
• Administrator
• Specialist community public health nurses (SCPHN)
• School nurses

Explore community nursing opportunities with Pulse

Community nurses play a crucial role in supporting individuals in their home or a community setting. At Pulse, we have exclusive permanent and locum community nurse posts which you can apply to.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Register your interest to be the first to hear about our latest opportunities.