A day as a district nurse
District nurses are just one of the types of nurses who work in the community, rather than in a hospital. As a district nurse, you may work in many different locations around the community, but your time will be spent mainly in people's own homes.
A typical day might start at 8.30am when you drive to a residential care home in your area. Your first task is to test the blood of a resident with diabetes, and inject him with insulin. You then treat another resident with a minor head injury, checking the wound for infection and applying the appropriate dressing.
For your next visit, you drive to the home of an elderly, disabled woman with asthma and mild hearing difficulties. You ask her how she is feeling, check her breathing and pulse rate, and gently syringe her ears. When you leave the house, your patient is feeling comfortable, and pleased to be able to hear better than before your visit.
Your day continues as you visit other housebound patients, and carry out the necessary nursing activities. You enjoy working in the community, and providing vital care to vulnerable people, some of whom would need to be in a care home or hospital if there were no district nurses.
