The specialist dermatology nurse: providing expert care to patients

Since starting my dermatology career in 1987 there have been many changes and innovations within the specialty and I have been privileged to witness, be involved in and lead many changes in the provision of care for dermatology patients.

Dermatology has long been described as a ‘Cinderella’ specialty (Linn, 1956; Bunker, 2013), a term used to describe any under-appreciated, under-funded or under-discussed specialty, including care of older people, mental health, rheumatology, colorectal surgery, hospital dermatology, chronic disease, pain medicine and sexual health. The reason for this attitude towards our specialty is that in the past almost all laypeople, and even many health professionals, regarded skin diseases as dirty, repulsive and abhorrent, a view that dates back to the days when so many skin diseases were due to syphilis, lice, mites, and so on (Linn, 1956). Today, such attitudes persist in some areas and the stigmatisation of people with skin conditions continues (Dimitrov and Szepietowski, 2017).