It’s Not Too Late to Get Your Skin Checked
From now through to November, CC Medical is supporting skin cancer awareness — encouraging Australians to check their skin, find their local skin cancer clinic and book a check if something doesn’t look right.
Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Around two in three Australians will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer before the age of 70, and more than one million treatments are performed each year for non-melanoma skin cancers.
So, if getting your skin checked has been sitting on your to-do list, it’s not too late to do something about it.
When Did You Last Check Your Skin?
Skin cancer doesn’t always come with an obvious warning sign.
Cancer Council recommends becoming familiar with your skin and looking for new spots or changes in the size, shape or colour of existing spots. If you notice something that concerns you, speak with your doctor rather than waiting.
This is particularly important in Australia, where UV exposure is a major cause of skin cancer.
It’s also an important workplace health issue. QLD Skin Checks highlights the exposure faced by people working outdoors in industries such as construction, mining, agriculture and landscaping, and the role workplace skin checks can play in making screening more accessible.
The Growing Need for Skin Cancer Nurses
Behind every skin check is another important part of the story: having healthcare professionals with the skills and experience to deliver these services.
There is evidence of a shortage of specialist melanoma and skin cancer nurses in Australia, although this shouldn’t be interpreted as a measured national shortage of every nurse who performs skin checks.
The Melanoma & Skin Cancer Advocacy Network has previously identified gaps in access to specialist melanoma and skin cancer nursing services, while Australian initiatives are also looking at how nurses can be trained in dermoscopy to improve access to skin checks.
The
600 Nurses Project, for example, aims to train 600 primary care nurses in dermoscopy, particularly to improve access to skin cancer screening in regional and rural communities.
Are You an Experienced Skin Cancer Nurse?
CC Medical is currently looking for Registered Nurses with experience in skin cancer screening, skin checks or mole checks to support a national workplace screening program.
We’re particularly interested in nurses with:
- Current AHPRA Registered Nurse registration
- Skin cancer screening, skin check or mole check experience
- Skin cancer or dermoscopy qualifications
- Mole mapping or melanography experience
- Their own dermatoscope, which is advantageous
- The ability to work independently and manage onsite screening sessions
Opportunities are available across metropolitan, and some opportunities for rural travel, with flexible casual and contract options.
For nurses already working in this area — particularly those with dermoscopy qualifications and hands-on screening experience — it’s an opportunity to use those specialist skills while helping more Australians access skin checks.
From This Month Through to November, Help Us Put Skin Checks on the Radar
From this month through to November and National Skin Cancer Action Week, CC Medical will be sponsoring social media advertising to support skin cancer awareness and help connect Australians with local skin cancer clinics.
We want to make one message hard to miss:
If you’ve been putting off getting your skin checked, it’s not too late.
Look for CC Medical-supported skin cancer awareness posts on Facebook and Instagram, or search:
#ccmedicalskincheck
to discover participating clinics and skin-check information.
And if you’re an experienced Skin Cancer Nurse, we’d also like to hear from you about current opportunities across Australia.
Whether you’re
booking a skin check or helping deliver
one, the coming months are a good reminder to put skin health back on the agenda.
