District nursing to practice nursing

[bananamilkshake123]

Interested in views from anyone who has made the change from community/district nursing to practice nursing.

Increasingly unhappy in my current role but love the patient contact so don't want to go management/ admin routes.

Thanks in advance!

IME you can move to almost any role in nursing if you have the qualifications and experience go for it. I started out as a district nurse, trained as a midwife, worked in hospital for a decade, moved into clinical research and eventually ended up in General Practice. Enjoyed every job I did. It depends what you are looking for tbh. If you get a nice GP practice that makes the job enjoyable.

I must confess I really appreciated having my own parking space and clinical room.

who Would employ you? Is it nhs terms and conditions? Same sick pay, holiday pay etc?
I work in the community but manage my own caseload ( children’s safeguarding) so can work flexibly …I wouldn’t leave the nhs unless it was for lots more money

That sounds like bliss!

It would be a case of asking lots of questions at interview to clarify all the above but I've read that people usually keep their NHS pensions. It would be a case of being employed by the GP surgery under the NHS banner I believe

It certainly was after years of stress of hospital car parking and desperately trying to get the school runs done.

You keep the pension you’ve got…..but check after that as it’s not always the case that’s it’s as favourable…..my neighbour is a practice nurse….she didn’t get the one of bonus that we all got last year ……so she was around 1800 down…..she doesn’t get any increments , so was taken on at mid band 6 …but no increment to top band…..she gets no paid carers leave……and she gets less annual leave …..she has a job in children’s 0 to 19 community team starting after Christmas..she says no ne has your back in a gp practice….you feel very isolated as a registered nutrse

I'm not a nurse but work in a gp practice.

We have employed ex community nurses so it's possible. We aren't employed by the NHS so holiday, benefits etc vary according to practice.

PNs are a bit of a dying breed though as HCAs and now doing the work PNs did and ANPs are more useful to us.