It has certainly been an exciting few months, as we have been preparing for the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses (BACN) autumn conference in Birmingham. The quality of the well-known and respected experts who were invited to update us about the latest innovation in their field, together with the live demonstrations, contributed to the overall excitement that could be felt at the venue. This year's conference began by paying tribute to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history. We observed a minute's silence and the auditorium fell to a hush with each person reflecting on what the Queen had meant to them. Sharon Bennett, chair of the BACN, then talked of the commitment and devotion the Queen had displayed to the nursing profession over the years.
There was definitely a special enthusiasm and increased sense of excitement about this meeting, as it had been 3 years since the last annual conference due to the restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. It was heartwarming to, at last, bring all the nurses together again in one venue. The agenda proved to be particularly rich in academic content this year, with some exceptional nurse speakers taking to the stage and carrying out live demonstrations. We were also privileged to welcome some of the medical pioneers in aesthetic medicine to give lectures and provide us with visual demonstrations. It is not exaggerated to state that we witnessed some of the very best academic showcases in aesthetic nursing.
This meeting is one of the largest meetings staged to provide nurses with the very best expert lectures, live demonstrations and of course, the opportunity to network with other colleagues, medical professionals and other representatives in aesthetics. We aimed to provide our nurses with a deeper understanding of the aesthetic nurse speciality. All of this would not have been possible without the incredible team that worked tirelessly to make our conference successful. The board would like to extend a huge thank you to the head of operations, Gareth Lewis, events coordinator, Laura Watt, and marketing coordinator, Bec Coleman.
» Although it is beyond the scope of our practice to diagnose or establish a direct treatment, I believe that we should be able to acquire the knowledge necessary to identify a suspicious lesion «
Online education
Alongside the excitement of our autumn conference, the BACN has witnessed a genuine beneficial effect of its educational webinars. The in-conversation sessions have once again proved to be very popular with many members. These are fantastic opportunities for nurses to update their knowledge and keep abreast of the new changes and innovations they can embrace in their practice, which will ultimately benefit the patient. These are accessible through our online platforms.
The opportunity to keep updated with their practical potential benefit is vitally important, as they can have dramatic positive effects, as has been demonstrated by the recent online update from our board member Anna Baker. Anna hosted an in-conversation session with Marie Tudor, chief executive officer of Skcin charity. The purpose of this charity is to highlight all aspects and topics of skin cancer awareness. It concentrates on the fundamental awareness of skin cancer. In that context, the recent success story of our colleague and BACN member Kate Smith illustrates the paramount importance of the knowledge that can be acquired through webinars and other scientific events, such as the latest BACN meeting in Birmingham. Above all, it reminded us of the fact that knowledge can make a vital difference in patient outcomes. Indeed, following the webinar that Kate attended through the BACN that led to her making the decision to complete the MASCED PRO training, she was able to identify a concerning skin lesion. This is thanks to the knowledge that Kate acquired through this training. This led to Kate raising concerns about the skin lesion that she found suspicious in a patient she was due to treat for other aesthetic purposes. Subsequently, her clinical attitude towards this suspicious lesion led to Kate making the appropriate referral that led to the correct management and treatment for her patient. This training provided by MASCED PRO has also assisted other disciplines in taking the correct steps when facing suspicious skin lesions by making the appropriate referral. All of this highlights the importance of such platforms (Bissett, 2021).
Beyond the obvious lesson learned from this positive outcome, one needs to be reminded that aesthetic medical practitioners are dealing with the skin, which is the largest organ in the body. By design or default, practitioners will be exposed to suspicious skin lesions. Although it is beyond the scope of our practice to diagnose or establish a direct treatment, I believe that we should be able to acquire the knowledge necessary to identify a suspicious lesion and adopt an attitude similar to Kate's.
Early detection
Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the body. Furthermore, some skin cancers have the ability to spread rapidly. Therefore, early detection of the pre-cancerous lesion or detection at the early stage is paramount. Without this early detection, there could be a dramatic impact on the patient outcome (Dildar et al, 2021). Although the aesthetic practice does not encompass treatment for skin cancer, some authors have stressed the need to be able to recognise early cancerous or pre-cancerous lesions (Dildar et al, 2021). This can be done by detailed but simple observations related to the size, colour, shape and geometrical morphology. The case that Kate presented clearly demonstrates the importance of attending courses and being more vigilant when assessing patients' skin. Indeed, it is not that long ago that, during my Master of Science module on skin and skin lesions, I was able to identify a lesion on one of my own patients who had booked in for a Hydrafacial. Prior to the module that I undertook, I am not convinced that I would have recognised this as a concerning lesion. This patient presented with a newly formed (1 month) pigmented lesion that she had believed to be a ‘spot that was taking a long time to heal’. It was situated just above her eyebrow. Following the examination, I made a referral to her GP. This lesion was diagnosed as a basal cell carcinoma and subsequently removed. Another patient presented 6 weeks later with a brown pigmented lesion on the top of her ear. When I questioned her on this, she had not even been aware it was there and said it was probably hair dye. On examination, this lesion caused me concern, and I explained to the patient that I wanted to refer her immediately. This patient also went on to have surgical removal and a positive diagnosis of skin cancer.
One of the learning aspects I have taken away from both of those scenarios is to educate my patients on the importance of not forgetting their sunscreen on the forgotten areas such as the ears and eyebrows.
Yet again, these examples highlight the fact that medical professionals will inevitably encounter skin lesions that we may or may not be familiar with. It also stresses the necessity to have the knowledge that can lead, at the very least, to raise a concern and trigger a correct referral. Very often, it can be forgotten that the primary organ target in aesthetics is the skin and, therefore, we could be the first medical professional to identify patients who are experiencing concerning skin lesions.