Community matron

You can get into this job through:

• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role
• applying directly

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do a Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner, or Specialist Community Public Health Nurse, Level 7 Professional Apprenticeship, if you're already a registered nurse.

These can take up to 2 years to complete and combine work-based training with study.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

Work

You can become a community matron by doing professional development training with your employer.

You'll need to be a registered nurse in any branch, or a registered health professional, for example a speech and language therapist.

You'll usually need:

• specialist knowledge of different nursing procedures and practice
• knowledge of long-term health conditions and treatments
• experience of managing a team

Some employers may want you to have a postgraduate master's qualification, for example in clinical practice.

Find out more about how you can develop your nursing career through the NHS Leadership Academy .

Direct Application

You can apply directly if you're a registered nurse or health professional and have between 3 and 5 years' post-registration experience.

You might also need:

• a degree or postgraduate diploma in community practice, specialising in district nursing, health visiting or practice nursing
• a relevant teaching or mentoring qualification
• a nurse prescribing qualification

More Information

Registrations

you'll need to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council

Further Information

You can find out more about working in healthcare from Health Careers .

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

• sensitivity and understanding
• customer service skills
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to use your initiative
• to be flexible and open to change
• the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
• excellent verbal communication skills
• administration skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

You may need a driving licence for some jobs.

Day-to-day tasks

As a community matron, you could:

• identify patients at risk of frequent hospital admission
• support patients who can be cared for at home and organise extra support
• develop personalised care plans that meet patients' needs
• carry out physical examinations and treatments
• teach patients how to self-manage their conditions
• show patients' families and carers how they can help
• manage a caseload of patients
• co-ordinate the care provided by a healthcare team
• refer patients to specialists when needed, for diagnostic tests or scans

Working environment

You could work at a client's home, at a hospice, at an adult care home or in an NHS or private hospital.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.

With experience and further training, you could become an advanced clinical practitioner or nurse consultant.

You could also move into service management, become head of community nursing or director of nursing.