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How do you become a health visitor? a good one that is?

23 replies

Katymac · 05/05/2006 18:05

So any ideas - is it a course? on the job training? a degree?

I'd want to be a good one

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Katymac · 05/05/2006 18:09

Oops off out for my birthday...I'll check back with this later

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WigWamBam · 05/05/2006 18:10

Pretty sure you need to be a qualified nurse or midwife first, with at least two years experience after qualifying.

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WigWamBam · 05/05/2006 18:16

Some info \link{http://www.learndirect-advice.co.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/profiles/profile429\here}.

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PinkKerPlink · 05/05/2006 18:17

have experience of special needs

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ggglimpopo · 05/05/2006 18:21

You need to be a qualified nurse. You then apply to a health authority for sponsorship and a place at Uni at the same time to do a BA Hons course in community health. Two years later you qualify and hope that the sponsoring ha will offer you a job.

It helps to have a steady stomach, a sense of humour, your own children, a supportive partner/family and the ability to hold your own when necessary. There are also huge amounts of paperwork and regulations that you need to be able to put up with and get on with.

I often felt like a glorified social worker - impotent (you couldn't just wave a magic wand and make everything - or sometimes anything - better) but I think it depends hugely on where you work and the particular ha. I taught a single dad how to cook beans on toast/use the washing machine/what a brownies uniform consisted of. I had a mother with pnd kill herself. I had cot deaths. I had children who flourished in spite of everything. I had a beaten mother turn round and press charges and watched her blossom as she made it by herself. I signed children into care. I was thumped, threatened, bitten by a dog, kissed and hugged, had huge buffet feasts cooked for me, drank tea that made me heave, there are families I will always remember and others I try hard to forget.

It is not for the fainthearted and is often a thankless job. There are good and bad hvs. Most of my colleagues were great. One went off and became a female priest! Another died recently aged 39 of cancer and had many of the families on her caseload contact her husband to say how much they missed her.

Having said all that, don't miss the job at all and in fact moved out and into a specialised field quite early into my career.

But you really need to ask a current hv all this...

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waterfalls · 05/05/2006 18:25

No advice, but happy birthday

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Katymac · 05/05/2006 20:04

Well that's a non-starter then I could not do nursing

So that's that

Thanks for all the advise

Any ideas what I could do?

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Piffle · 05/05/2006 20:05

Speech Therapy?

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Katymac · 05/05/2006 20:13

I don't think i'm patient enough

I liked the idea of being a know-it-all

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ggglimpopo · 05/05/2006 20:15

Happy Birthday. Don't taxi drivers know it all?

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Piffle · 05/05/2006 20:16

oh I presumed you'd like to help people ...

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Katymac · 05/05/2006 20:17

Hmmm yes - I wonder if I could do that?

Don't fancy the heavy bags and the potential danger (being robbed for my days takings)

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Katymac · 05/05/2006 20:20

Well maybe but only if they know I'm in charge

I really am looking for a new career

I would consider uni or longish retraining etc

I just don't have a clue what to do