Journal de recherche clinique et expérimentale en dermatologie
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Skin Cancer Nurses - A Screening Role

N Jones and GB Colver

Skin cancer nurses play a vital role in the management and education of their patients. Many nurses also assess skin lesions at follow up visits but have not progressed to a primary screening role. Having completed a structured training package a nurse practitioner successfully took this step. The safety of the transition was assessed by studying her assessment of 100 unselected patients seen in the skin cancer clinic. The assessment was compared to that of a consultant dermatologist. The main question asked for each patient was whether their lesion was definitely benign or whether there was an element of doubt. In every case the nurse's assessment accorded with that of the consultant. We believe this indicates an adequate level of safety to allow the nurse to see and discharge patients with lesions she deems to be benign.