INTRODUCTION

This is an informational poster for both healthcare professionals and patients. It will describe the increased incidence of skin cancer in organ transplant recipients and contributing factors. It will define a proactive plan of care and treatment options.

METHODS

The information is based on research gathered from the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, various online articles, and the AT RISC organization. The outline of the poster includes the incidence of skin cancer, contributing factors, plan of care for prevention, what skin cancer looks like and skin cancer treatments.

RESULTS

Many transplant clinics do not include dermatologic care in their pre and post op teaching. Skin cancer is one of the most significant causes of morbidity and mortality in organ transplant recipients. We as dermatology nurses need to reach out to organ transplant teams and patients to inform them of the importance of skin checks and sun protection.

CONCLUSION

The more nurses understand the risk of antirejection medication and other risk factors, the better we can take care of our organ transplant patients who present with multiple skin cancers.

NURSING IMPLICATIONS

This topic provides a great opportunity for nurses to teach other healthcare professionals and patients about a disease process that is overlooked or underemphasized.

REFERENCES