Community matrons are highly experienced, senior nurses who work
closely with patients (mainly those with a serious long term
condition or complex range of conditions) in a community setting to
directly provide, plan and organise their care.
As well as providing nursing care, community matrons act as
'case manager' - a single point of contact for care, support or
advice, typically for a caseload of around 50 very high intensity
users.
Community matrons are usually deemed to be working as advanced
nurse practitioners - highly skilled nurses who can:
Most posts tend to involve working with the complete age range,
but some posts may be designated to work with specific client
groups, such as the elderly or children.
Community matrons see patients in their own home and in other
community settings. They work as part of multi-professional and
multi-agency teams.
You will need to be a registered and experienced nurse with a
range of skills. For information about training as a registered
nurse, click here.
Nurses who want to become community matrons can learn in the
workplace and build on the competences they already have. You will
probably be required to work towards achievement of a masters level
of qualification.
Community matrons need a high level of communication,
problem-solving and decision-making skills. They must be able to
manage risk appropriately, and to take responsibility for their own
decisions.
Drawing on the knowledge of social, biological and epidemiological
sciences, community matrons need a sound understanding of change
management, organisational development and emotional
intelligence.
Community matrons are usually employed by primary care trusts
(PCTs) and job vacancies appear on the NHS Jobs
website.
Contact your local PCT for information about opportunities and
the training involved. Details of PCTs can be found on the NHS Jobs
website.
More general information about the role of community matrons can be
found on the Department of Health
website.
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