Nursing interventions

In this section, the role of the nurse will be considered. The overall objective of the nursing intervention is to provide support to patients who have skin disease, in order to enhance their mental health and thus enable them to cope with their condition as effectively as possible. Nurses will already have a significant skill-set that they can draw on to achieve this, what is outlined here are ways to develop these skills further. This should not be mistaken as an attempt to train people into being therapists with specific abilities. Instead, communication skills will be discussed along with some techniques used in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). These can be incorporated into developing a set of professional competencies relevant to the area of work. Should a patients needs go beyond the nurses level of competency, referral on to other practitioners e.g. a clinical psychologist, should always be considered. A further exploration of the therapeutic consultation is discussed in Helping patients make the most of their treatment.