Training as an HV - do you really have to train as a nurse first?

[AnarchyAunt]

I've just been looking into it and it seems you must train as a nurse then gain two years practice.

How essential are nursing skills to being an HV? Is there really no direct route into it?

yAFAIK yes you need to do nursing first

and to get onto a nursing course you may have to do an access to health course (can you tell i looked into it!)

Yes you must, health visitors are nurses.

You used to be able to do a nursing degree and a hv course as part of that at the end but it may have changed. Out of interest have you looked in to what HV job can involve?

I've done an Access course 2 years ago(Biology/Sociology/Health Studies) so I guess that bit is covered.

I'm interested in training to do some sort of community health work and it seemed an obvious choice. I just sort of assumed there would be a direct 3 year course into it, seems a bit convoluted to do nursing, then minimum 2 yrs practice, then just a 1 yr degree specific to health visiting.

You have to be a qualified nurse and then do the community practitioner degree.

There is no direct route.

Its because hvs have lots of responsibility and need the skills and knowledge nursing gives them.

Lots of HVs are childrens nurses. Its very competetive to get onto the HV course.

Nursery nurses work with the hv teams, they are community based, would that be something you would consider?

well it may look that way but when you're faced with assessing incontinence inolder people , cpr/ anaphylaxis training, continence issues in children and mental health issues nursing /midwifery background may start to look rather useful.

If you dont fancy nursing/midwifery have you thought about other public health roles. Cant think of them off hand (brain gone to mush) but health promotion roles more prominent nowadays

You don't have to have done nursing - you can also do it after midwifery. My mum was a direct entry midwife (never a nurse) then did a public health degree & is now dual registered as both a midwife & a HV - IME all the best HVs have been mws.