The evolution of advanced practice for nurses working in skin cancer care

This article aims to explore how nursing practice has evolved within a secondary care dermatology outpatient setting in recent years to meet a staffing crisis faced by many dermatology departments, which resulted in some having to close. The article's focus is on skin cancer and dermatological surgery and will describe the pivotal role nurses play in not only ensuring care needs are met, but in reshaping the service into a superior care model. The author describes the demands that forced a change in care delivery, the influence this has had on nursing practice, and how service delivery has improved.

The NHS is facing an uncertain future, crippled by increasing financial constraints and population demands (The King's Fund, 2015). An ageing population is of particular concern for dermatology services and skin cancer care because the incidence in this patient group is high and often difficult to treat. It is estimated that 54% of the population is affected by skin disease and over half of all referred activity to dermatology services relates to skin cancer management (Eedy, 2015).