How Long Is Health Visitor Training?

How long is health visitor training?

To become a health visitor you need to be a qualified and registered nurse (in any field) or midwife, and then undertake an approved training programme in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing – Health Visiting (SCPHN – HV). The full time course is 52 weeks, but you may be able to train part time over a longer period. This will involve you studying 50% theory with a university and 50% practice with a health provider organisation, under supervision from a range of specialised practitioners working with children and families.

Your responsibilities depend on the role and your specialist area, but generally you will build relationships with different people, assess their needs and development, provide information, advice and support on various childcare issues, identify risk factors and areas of concern, promote health and wellbeing and work to prevent and minimise illness, injury and disease. You will need to keep up to date with new medical advances and practical best practice.

Depending on your experience, you may want to specialise in one particular area or group of families, and you may also choose to undertake additional training in a specific field. Some health visitors work with young children from poor backgrounds, or those with disabilities and/or ill-health, and they can be especially helpful in providing emotional support to them and their parents.

The length of your training is influenced by your qualifications, the type of practice you are involved in and how many hours you are required to work each week. For most health visitors, the training takes between 1 and 2 years full time or equivalent part time. It is a requirement of the NMC to complete revalidation every three years to maintain your registration.

There are a number of ways you can get experience of working as a health visitor, including volunteering or doing a foundation apprenticeship. This could be a great way to discover the role and see whether it is the right career for you.

You can also find out more about the opportunities for health visitors by talking to your local healthcare service. They should be able to give you more details about the different types of roles and provide information on how to apply for them.

To find out more about the qualification you need to become a health visitor, visit the NMC website or contact your local health authority or college. They should be able to advise you on the qualifications you need and the training programmes available in your area.

If you are unsure of the level of study you need to do, you can find out more about studying for an associate degree in health visiting at the University of Leeds or through the Institute of Health Visiting. This is the professional body dedicated to health visitors and their work, and they offer a wide range of training courses, access to industry-specific research and documentation, and private members’ areas where you can talk with other professionals in your area.