Dermatology Nurses, Dedicated Professionals

Like most of you, I am extremely proud to be a nurse and, particularly, a dermatology nurse. Nurses work in dermatology for varied reasons, but most dermatology nurses I talk to have excitement, enthusiasm, and respect for dermatology, dermatology nursing, and dermatology care. This makes me delighted—delighted that those of us working in our profession are so passionate about what we do and passionate about the impact we have on patients and patient care. I invite you as readers to be as passionate about your profession by contributing to the Journal of the Dermatology Nurses' Association (JDNA). I would suggest that professional contributions are important for career progression and satisfaction, and the JDNA offers many opportunities for involvement.In previous communications with Dermatology Nurses' Association (DNA) members and JDNA readers, I have outlined various means by which a dermatology nurse can become more involved. The JDNA offers opportunities for academic pursuits by offering dermatology nurses opportunities to become peer reviewers for the Journal, to become authors by writing articles for publication, and to serve on the Editorial Board of the JDNA. Of course, I am asking for volunteers not only because we need your help in guiding the development of article choices and guiding the vision of what we want dermatology nurses to know but also because being professionally actively involved is good for you as a professional. As mentioned, involvement in the JDNA helps to bolster your professional development and perhaps advance your career by actively showing your dedication to your profession, colleagues, and patients. Professionalism is shown by actively being involved in the education of dermatology nurses and contributing to the body of knowledge that dermatology nurses learn from. For many dermatology nurses, this type of professional engagement offered opportunities for developing nursing scholarship, providing a voice for dermatology nurses, and helping to cement your voice in dermatology nursing. Many will find involvement with these pursuits a great honor and accomplishment. The spring season is often viewed as a time of renewal and regrowth. I challenge you this season to ask yourself how you are renewing and to consider growth in your career as a dermatology nurse. Would you consider volunteering with the JDNA as one of those new goals for your springtime? I honestly understand if not everyone is called to become a volunteer with the JDNA, because it certainly is something that takes the right combination of timing, passion, and energy. If not now, maybe you would consider working with us in the future. And, if this is the case where you can't join the work of the JDNA, I also wanted to bring a different chance for professional development to your attention. Each March 19 is Certified Nurses Day. According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center website, “Certified Nurses Day™ is an annual day of recognition for and by healthcare leaders dedicated to nursing professionalism, excellence, recognition, and service. Every March 19, employers, certification boards, education facilities, and healthcare providers celebrate and publicly acknowledge nurses who earn and maintain the highest credentials in their specialty. Certified Nurses Day™ honors nurses worldwide who contribute to better patient outcomes through national board certification in their specialty” (https://www.nursingworld.org/education-events/certified-nurses-day/; American Nurses Association, 2024a). They also state, “Professional certification is a voluntary designation earned by individuals who demonstrate a level of competency, skill, and knowledge in their field. Certification affirms advanced knowledge, skill, and practice to meet the challenges of modern nursing” (https://www.nursingworld.org/education-events/certified-nurses-day/). There are good resources at https://fs.hubspotusercontent00.net/hubfs/4850206/CNDToolkit/CertifiedNursesDayToolkit-LINKED.pdf if you are interested in helping your organization or practice to celebrate Certified Nurses Day (American Nurses Association, 2024b). Choosing certification is another opportunity to show your professionalism. Perhaps you would like to advance your career as a dermatology nurse by becoming certified. This would be another opportunity to be recognized as an expert in dermatology nursing. Collen Powell, BSN, RN, DNC, a Director on the Dermatology Nursing Certification Board states, “Reasons for becoming Dermatology Nurse Certified vary individually, but for me it was a way to push myself to increase my knowledge of Dermatology Nursing, especially in areas that I didn't have exposure to in the academic medical center where I was working. Certification was also one of the steps required to participate in my institution's clinical advancement program and, although professional recognition of my knowledge was rewarding, ultimately my goal of providing excellent evidence-based patient care was the true benefit to me, my institution, and the patients I served. If you're interested in learning more about the certification process, I highly recommend you view ‘Rediscovering Professional Nursing Certification’ available for free on the DNA CE Center, as well as information under the certification tab on the Dermatology Nurses' Association home page” (personal communication, January 10, 2024). Thankfully, there are several organizations that help dermatology nurses become certified, including the Dermatology Nursing Certification Board (Figure 1) certification, which offers the Dermatology Nurse Certified (DNC) examination. See https://www.dnanurse.org/dnc-certification/#1636570006472-851ead73-d8be for more information. This site states the requirements to become DNC certified include the following:FIGURE 1: Dermatology Nursing Certification Board logo. Have a minimum of 2 years of dermatology nursing experience as a registered nurse. Hold a current and unrestricted license as a registered nurse in the United States or Canada. Have a minimum of 2,000 hours of work experience in dermatology nursing within the past 2 years in a general staff, administrative, teaching, or research capacity. Another organization that offers certification for dermatology nurses is the Dermatology Nurse Practitioner Certification Board (DNPCB) at https://www.dnpcb.org/. Their Board offers dermatology nurse practitioners (NPs) the opportunity to become a Dermatology Certified NP (DCNP). Their website (https://www.dnpcb.org/) encourages qualified individuals to become certified to validate your advanced knowledge; improve patient care; enhance your sense of pride and accomplishment; enjoy peer and collegial respect; and increase your earning power and job satisfaction. Their website (https://www.dnpcb.org/) also mentions required criteria for DCNP certification, including the following: Master's or doctoral degree in nursing Current NP state licensure National certification as an NP Minimum of 3,000 hours of recent dermatology NP practice (within the last 3 years) with current practice in dermatology (hours obtained from a formal dermatology NP academic program count toward the 3,000 hours) I think many dermatology nurses and NPs would be eligible for DNC or DCNP certification, and I strongly encourage you to consider pursing certification to show your expertise to yourself, your colleagues, and your patients. Certified dermatology nurses should be exceptionally proud of their demonstrable evidence to professionalism. As an aside, I know it can sometimes be challenging to take the professional step to decide one is ready to having their expertise tested and proven. You will find that not only is there great collegial support for those interested in taking this next step, but also there are several resources available to help someone to prepare for the testing process itself. Perhaps your spring efforts should include forming a study group with your colleagues and making a commitment to taking the test at the next available dates? Speaking of professionals, in my role as Editor-in-Chief of the JDNA, I have the ongoing privilege of working with many fantastically dedicated DCNP-certified NPs. Most recently, Amanda Norton has been on the Editorial Board of the JDNA and has made the professional decision to leave the Editorial Board. Please join me in not only thanking her for contributions while she served but also wishing her well in ongoing professional pursuits. Amanda, thank you for serving the JDNA and best wishes. Attending annual dermatology nursing conferences and conventions is another way to show your dedication to dermatology nursing and the profession. Coincidentally, the timing of the 2024 annual DNA Annual Convention is occurring very close to the mailing of this issue. It is possible that, as you are reading this issue, dermatology nurses will be gathering in San Diego, CA, for several days of educational offerings. It is my hope that, if you are with us in California this year, you'll make a plan to join the DNA Annual Convention in 2025 as well and, if you found yourself unable to attend this year, you'll be sure to plan attendance at the 2025 Convention; it's an event that you don't want to miss. As always, looking forward to hearing from you, Angela L. Borger Editor-in-Chief [email protected]

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