Health Visitor job description

Job description of a Health Visitor

Health visitors are registered nurses or midwives with an additional specialist public health qualification who work with families with children aged under five to promote good health and prevent illness. A huge part of being a health visitor will be providing care and support for families with new children, offering advice and guidance from pregnancy to primary school.

They advise parents on breastfeeding, weaning, potty training, teething, common childhood health problems and various other issues that new parents might face. They’ll also help tackle issues such as bereavement, postnatal depression and violence in the family.

Health visitors work closely with other health professionals to ensure that needs and requirements are met.

This Health Visitor job description example includes the list of most important Health Visitor duties and responsibilities as shown below. It can be modified to fit the specific Health Visitor profile you're trying to fill as a recruiter or job seeker.

Health Visitor Duties and Responsibilities

Health Visitor job description should contain a variety of functions and roles including:

Meeting the health needs of individuals, families and communities
Assessing the effectiveness of the current procedures
Working with GPs, midwives, nursery nurses and community staff nurses to deliver the care needed
Helping new parents understand childcare issues, such as feeding, sleeping, safety and development
Setting up health plans with families
Diagnosing and treating minor health conditions
Supporting and training new health visitors
Planning and implementing promotional displays for healthcare issues
Understanding and maintaining all codes and government initiatives
Managing parent and baby clinics
Getting involved with local community projects, such as preschools and action groups
Providing support for sensitive issues such as postnatal depression, disability and domestic violence

Health Visitor Requirements / Skills / Qualifications

Health Visitor job description should include these common skills and qualifications:

A qualified and registered nurse (in any field) or midwife
An approachable personality, and the ability to get on well with and gain the trust of people of all ages and backgrounds
Excellent communication, questioning and listening skills, as well as the ability to interpret body language and other non-verbal communication
Sensitivity, empathy, patience and tact
The ability to work independently and autonomously as well as in multidisciplinary teams
Good time management, organisational skills and the ability to prioritise a varied workload
Influencing skills and the ability to motivate people to make lifestyle changes
The emotional maturity to deal with potentially distressing issues and challenging situations
An interest in health and social issues and in developing programmes that will improve public health
A willingness to take responsibility and make appropriate professional judgements with confidence.

As a hiring manager, recruiting an ideal Health Visitor starts with crafting a good job description. Use this Health Visitor job description template to save yourself time and help you attract the most qualified candidates. Feel free to revise it to meet your specific needs.

Job seekers interviewing for the role of a Health Visitor may also reference it in preparation for the interview.

Health Visitor Job Description

Job description of a Health Visitor

Health Visitor Duties and Responsibilities

Health Visitor Requirements / Skills / Qualifications

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