Supporting the district nurse to consolidate advanced clinical skills.

Despite evidence that district nursing is valued by the population it serves and that the policy agenda supports healthcare at home, it is well recognised that the district nursing service in some areas is in crisis. It is also acknowledged that the practices of the district nurse vary considerably across the UK. The northeast of Scotland led the way in district nursing in 2013, by moving education and service delivery beyond the traditional district nurse model to supporting education at Master's level and integrating advanced clinical skills in learning. However, this move was not without its challenges for some. With district nurses being lone workers and existing district nurses not practising advanced skills, student district nurses faced considerable challenges in consolidating their skills. At this point, the education was more advanced than the practice experience available