• District nurse fulfil a key care role in the United Kingdomminiature model of nurse image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
  
  District nurses are employed in the United Kingdom and provide care to patients in settings other than hospitals, such as in health centers, the patient's own home or care homes for the elderly. Typical patients of a district nurse include those who are terminally ill, housebound or recently discharged from hospital. District nurses are not employed outside of the United Kingdom.
  
  

Advisory Role

• District nurses promote health by advising on nutrition and exercise levelsdiet and health image by Photoeyes from Fotolia.com
  
  District nurses fill a key role in reducing admissions and re-admissions to U.K. hospitals. They provide advice to patients on how to improve their lifestyle by promoting good nutrition and regular exercise regimes. A district nurse also provides emotional support to patients and their relatives, offering information on their condition and teaching caregiving skills. A district nurse is sometimes assigned to supervise a team of nurses in providing care to those with complicated or long-term medical conditions, as stated on the NHS (National Health Service) Careers website. The nurse accepts patient referrals made by GPs (general practitioners) in the U.K. and from hospitals. Once a patient is accepted, a district nurse makes a schedule of care for that patient to arrange for visits and the administration of medication when needed.
  
  

Support Duties

• District nurses explain different treatment options and how to administer theminjection image by DXfoto.com from Fotolia.com
  
  A district nurse must ensure that patients and their families understand the different options of treatment available and how any medication should be administered if the nurse is not present. A district nurse is also assigned to identify any problems in the social care of a patient. If a patient is living in unclean conditions or suffering mental or physical abuse from any co-residents, the district nurse is tasked with contacting social support agencies to secure better conditions. District nurses also arrange for the provision of other support services that may be required such as "meals on wheels" (meals delivered straight to the residences of incapacitated patients) and more intensive home care arrangements, as stated on the Prospects graduate website.
  
  

Basic Nursing Duties

• A district nurse takes blood and urine samples for analysisblood sample image by Glenn Jenkinson from Fotolia.com
  
  A district nurse also performs basic nursing duties such as assessing a patient's temperature, blood pressure and pulse levels. The nurse also administers prescribed drugs, gives injections and arranges drip-feeds when necessary. A district nurse cleans and replaces wound dressings and takes blood and urine samples for testing and analysis. The nurse also liaises with medical specialists to seek advice on any adjustments to be made to drug treatments or care.
  
  

Outlook

• District nursing can be lucrative but requires significant trainingmoney career upstairs image by Anatoly Tiplyashin from Fotolia.com
  
  Candidates for district nursing must be qualified as a registered nurse in the United Kingdom before being eligible for further training. District nurse training programs are referred to as specialist practitioner courses. They typically take one academic year full-time but may be completed sooner if credit is awarded for previous relevant experience or learning. According to mysalary.co.uk, the average salary for a U.K. district nurse is 33,500 pounds (approximately $50,000) as of February 2009.