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Health Visitor Job Profile / Description
A health visitor is a qualified nurse or midwife who has training in education, health promotion, public health and children's health. A health visitor would assess others needs as part of a wider team and would promote good health and help patients to avoid any ill-health.
Health visitors would visit individuals in their homes and work within a local community and would need to be flexible and able to respond to the needs of the community.
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What would a health visitor do?
These are just some of the things health visitors would do:
- Dealing with new parents and assisting with issues related to sleeping, feeding, immunisations, weaning and anything that comes with being a new parent;
- Working with new parents and addressing individual needs;
- Meeting the health related needs of individuals, families etc and making sure they are effective;
- Working alongside GP's, nurses, healthcare assistants, midwives etc
- Organising baby clinics for new parents;
- Setting up specialist sessions e.g. baby massage for new parents;
- Working with other departments such as, childrens centres, schools etc;
- Identifying minor health conditions and prescribing restricted medication;
- Providing emotional support for issues such as, postnatal depression;
- Training new health visitors;
- Updating and maintaining client data;
- Designing and setting up displays in the centres;
- Supporting government initiatives.
What are the entry requirements?
You need to have qualified and registered as a nurse or midwife before you train to be a health visitor. You will need to take a programme in specialist community public health nursing/health visiting (SCPHN/HV). To get onto this programme, it is quite flexible in terms of post-registration experience. You can enter the programme at any stage and any nurse or midwife can apply.
What skills and attributes are required?
As a health visitor, you may need to highlight some of the following skills:
- Organisational skills;
- Confidence;
- Ability to cope with challenging situations;
- Ability to work independently;
- Good team working skills;
- Good interpersonal and communication skills.
What would I earn as a health visitor?
Starting salaries for health visitors are £25,000 - £35,000 or more. Health visitors are paid on band 6 of the NHS pay rates. Team managers and specialists can earn around £40,000 and be paid on the band 7 of the pay rates. You are likely to be paid more if you live in certain areas, like for example, London.
What would my hours be?
Working hours are usually standard 9am until 5pm but due to clinics, workshops, drop-ins, hours could end up being a little longer.
Is there career progression?
Many health visitors remain in their role throughout their career but progression would naturally be to a specialist health assistant or a team manager. Team managers are like the medical assistants and are responsible for management and clinical supervision.
What training would I receive?
The full time programmes are usually one year full time or part time about 2 years. The full time course normally involves about 45 weeks study to be completed in 156 weeks. If you have work experience, then this can be used to reduce the term of your course.
If you are not a qualified nurse or midwife already, you would need to complete an approved nursing/miwifery programme first.
Where can I find health visitor roles?
That’s simple; just click on this link to find the latest health visitor roles in your location.
Search for health visitor roles here.
Get health visitor jobs sent to your inbox right here.
Browse through other health-related jobs here.
Find out information about other health-related jobs here.
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