Health visitor

You would visit people in their homes and give them information, practical care and support to help them stay healthy.

Health visitors are experienced and qualified registered nurses or midwives.

You’d visit people of all ages and backgrounds. You’d focus on people who need special help, such as new mothers and their babies.

You could:

• Advise new mothers for example about the hygiene, safety, feeding and sleeping of their baby

• Counsel people on issues such as post-natal depression, bereavement or being diagnosed HIV positive

• Coordinate child immunisation programmes

• Organise special clinics or drop-in centres

You’d listen to your patients and try to understand what issues may be causing them distress. It is important to be tactful, and it will be useful if you can interpret body language and other non-verbal communication.

The information, practical care and support you can provide will help people cope with difficulties they are experiencing. You’d work closely with other agencies such as social services and local housing departments.

A good understanding of child protection issues is also important.

You can see more about this role in the National Health Service on the Health visitor page on the NHSScotland Careers website.

• NHS Education for Scotland – Training for the healthcare workforce including higher education and professional development

• Disclosure Scotland – more about the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme