Nursing as a medical field has several specialties and dermatology nursing is one of them.
A dermatologist nurse plays a very important role in the lives of many people who have a problem with their skin, hair, nail and scalp.
Many patients usually seek treatment suffering from various skin diseases that include warts, acne, skin cancer, herpes and dermatitis among others.
A dermatology nurse is very important as he or she works hand in hand with a dermatologist in providing medical care to patients.
Their advice to patients is vital because any improper care to the skin may lead to permanent damage to the skin, leaving some ugly marks or even leading to further infection.
Since dermatology nursing requires enough skills, one must have gotten an overall good grade in high school as well as in science subjects such as biology, chemistry and physics.
This is however not enough.
One needs to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing for four or five years or a two-year RN degree in Nursing from a recognized college.
To complete these degrees, one would have taken courses that include microbiology, anatomy, human development, physiology, pharmacology as well as general nursing.
One must complete a supervised internship which is very important as it gives a person firsthand experience in dealing with dermatological cases.
To become a dermatology nurse, one will be required to pass either a local or national examination.
In the United States for example, one must sit the National Council Licensure Examination so as to become licensed.
The goal for sitting for this exam is for the examiners to check whether one possesses the skills needed in the provision of nursing care that is effective as well as safe.
Just like any other medical field, dermatological nursing requires the practitioner to have enough experience before beginning to work independently.
In some countries, he or she will be expected to have experience of not less than two thousand hours in a heath center, dermatologist's office, or in a similar setting.
During this time, one would be exposed to various tasks such as patient education, cancer screening, administrative work, chemical peels or other related tasks.
On completing the required hours of internship, one may be required to sit for another exam such as the Dermatology Nurse Certification exam.
If one does not pass the exam, it shows that he or she does not have the specialized skills necessary in dermatology nursing.
If one passes, then he or she is ready to work for private or public health care institutions.
In some countries, such a person may be posted immediately but in others he may be required to make applications either manually or online.
This would require him or her to have necessary skills in crafting a great curriculum vita.
For one to sharpen his skills and knowledge in dermatological nursing it is important for him or her to frequently attend seminars, classes or conferences organized for dermatology nurses.
The Dermatology Nurses' Association often organizes courses and workshops that may be helpful to those in the field.
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