Any Health Visitors/school nurses out there?

[Chloejames03]

Hi all, I am new to this so I hope I’m doing this right!

I am a qualified Mental Health Nurse (band 6, 8 years experience). I would really like to train to become a health visitor but I am so confused!!

I have an intervire for a trainee health visitor and a trainee school nurse. Both appear to be the same course so do you qualify as both? It seems odd that say I did the course for health visitor and later on decided to do school nursing I would have to complete the same course again?

Hope this all make sense!

Any interview tips would be greatly welcomed too 😉

*interview

This is what it says on the University of Southampton (randomly chosen uni) website:

The postgraduate diploma in public health practice: specialist community public health nursing, takes one year to complete. It is designed specifically for nurses and midwives who want to achieve career progression into a community based role. Successful completion of this programme will entitle you to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council in the clearly defined area of specialist community public health nursing.

As a result, graduates typically find employment as a health visitor, school nurse, in sexual health, or as an occupational health nurse.

www.southampton.ac.uk/healthsciences/postgraduate/taught_courses/pgdip_specialist_community_public_health_nursing.page

From which, I would assume that taking the course entitles you to work in either field? You wouldn't have to take the same course twice, since both health visiting and school nursing are specificslly mentioned as possible subsequent careers.

(Back in my day, Health Visiting required the specific HV course, though)

Hi

I trained in 2013 and it was a general scphn degree but you qualified as either a RHV or RSN which I think is line with NMC requirements.

Just to add although I am a RHV our service is commissioned providing care from age 0-8 so although I am not a school nurse officially I am doing the role. I haven't had to retrain but really don't know what the situation would be if chose to apply for a scphn school nurse job.

The course content is the same for HV or school nurse students, but the placement will be different. So you will only qualify for either school nursing or health visiting, depending on which placement you choose.