Working in the Community in England

Welcome to the Community!

This is the first national project of its kind in England, to support Registered Nurses who are considering working in community healthcare organisations, not hospitals.

Historically, most nurses who have come to the UK to work have started by working in a hospital environment: hospital trusts have been the major recruiters of overseas nurses. Many of these nurses will transition to community roles in time. However, there is no reason in principle why a nurse coming to work in England (or any other part of the UK) cannot start in the community straight away.

Working in the community offers nurses a huge range and diversity of roles, many of which are described in other areas of our website. There are many specialisms and career paths, offering personal and professional progression and rewards.

Your contact with people in the community will be completely different to working in a hospital; you’ll often get to know whole families over an extended period of time, helping them to manage their physical and mental health in different ways.

Community health services in England also need skilled nurses – there is a rising demand of care for people of all ages, and there are opportunities in teams in all parts of the country, in towns and cities as well as more rural locations, or a combination of the two.

To get more of an idea of working in the community in England, watch the short film we made in 2019:

Nursing Heritage

The National Health Service (NHS) in England has always relied on nurses from all over the world, and that is as true today as it was when it was first established. The NHS and the Queen’s Nursing Institute are delighted to welcome international nurses to the community.