Volume 7, Number 2

Alexander Brown RGN MA BSc (Hons) Dip ENB Nurse Consultant and Lead Nurse Critical Care Services, North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Carlisle

Action Learning has become very fashionable within many of the leadership courses that are being driven by the government in pursuit of the modernisation and redesign of the NHS. The format of Action Learning has been around for 40 years and was established by Professor Reg Revans as a means for organisations to utilise the talents of their staff to learn and solve complex problems faced on a regular basis.

Jennie Sutton RGN BSc(Hons) Professional Practice in Healthcare Clinical Governance Facilitator, Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle

Innovations in healthcare add new demands for the nursing profession. No longer can dermatology nurses rely on their pre-egistration learning to see them through their career. The 21st-century buzzwords – evolution, lifelong learning, continuous professional development, reflective practice and clinical supervision – exemplify this.

Michael J Cork BSc PhD FRCP Head of Academic Dermatology, Biomedical Genetics Dermatology, University of Sheffield Medical School, The Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield and Consultant Dermatologist; Julie Carr RGN RN Specialist Nurse Paediatric Dermatology; Sue Young RSCN Paediatric Dermatology Nurse; Catherine Holden MBCHB MRCGP Clinical Assistant in Dermatology, Paediatric Dermatology Clinic, Sheffield Children’s Hospital

Emollients have been used to treat dry skin conditions, such as atopic eczema and contact dermatitis, for over 5,000 years. The value of emollients has not been appreciated by many patients and healthcare professionals, who do not consider them to be ‘active’ treatments. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Suzanne Leech MBChB MRCP Specialist Registrar in Dermatology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

This article highlights skin complaints that occur as a direct result of hobbies. Of these, allergic contact reactions are probably the most common. However, the environment is also a factor (sun exposure, cold weather and wet/dry conditions can all affect the skin), and activities that may predispose to infection (such as contact sports) need to be considered as well. This is why taking a good history regarding a patient’s daily routine, including work-related activities and hobbies, is essential in the diagnosis of some dermatoses.

Julie Bowman, Editor

Time may not have improved the image of lawyers, but the popularity of law as a career has never been better. Some lawyers excel in medical legal work and, as a nurse, you may find yourself one of their ‘bestest’ friends. The challenge is not to become so. A recent audit report reveals that hospitals are dangerous to staff, with accidents and work-related stress increasing.1 Does the latter category include surveillance-produced paranoia?

Brenda Rathmell RGN N25 ENB 998 Senior Sister Dermatology, Leeds General Infirmary

Phototherapy is increasingly used by dermatology units in the management of photoresponsive diseases, such as psoriasis, eczema and photodermatoses.

Brenda Rathmell RGN N25 ENB 998 Senior Sister Dermatology, Leeds General Infirmary

Phototherapy is prescribed by dermatologists, with treatment usually carried out by nurses (although in some cases the light cabinet may be in the physiotherapy department). Here, I look at the mechanism of therapy and conditions that respond to phototherapy, as a lead-in to the following article, What I tell my patients about phototherapy, which focuses on providing patient information and the role of the nurse.

Stephen Wright FRCN MBE Associate Professor, Faculty of Health, St Martin’s College Lancaster and Chairman of the Sacred Space Foundation

Caring for people with skin problems brings us, often literally, face to face with suffering – physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual – and, as we witness their daily struggles against pain or irritation or rejection, we may suffer with them.

Peter Lapsley, Chief Executive, Skin Care Campaign

It is widely accepted that the use of emollients is essential for the effective management of inflammatory skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis.