Charity Launches RCN-Accredited Psoriasis Training for Primary Care Nurses

LONDON, November 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

From April 2016, nurses will need to revalidate to maintain their registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Gaining enough CPD study hours will be essential. A new online course, launching on 9^th November 2015, will award nurses 10 study hours and a wealth of information on a common yet often overlooked disease.

Psoriasis in Practice (PiP) is a training programme created by registered charity PAPAA, the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance. Nurses and other healthcare professionals can enrol at any time of year they like, and will have up to six weeks to complete the course.

Accredited by the Royal College of Nursing, the programme is hosted entirely online for maximum flexibility and convenience, and learning outcomes that enhance patient care and professional competence. On successful completion, participants will receive RCN-approved study hours and a certificate to add to their revalidation portfolio.

The programme features evidence-based content, focusing on patient perspectives, aetiology and treatments for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and nursing assessment and management. Psoriasis is a common scaly skin condition which affects 2-3% of the UK population. So in an average GP practice of 4,000, there could be as many as 120 people living with this chronic disease. Up to 20% of those affected will also have potentially disabling psoriatic arthritis, which is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

As well as the various physical symptoms of the different forms of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, the mental and emotional toll can be extremely damaging. Among those severely affected, there is a high incidence of depression, anxiety and even suicidal tendencies. The PiP e-learning course aims to help participants to identify, manage and support patients, using evidence-based resources, case studies, patient interviews, the latest guidelines and descriptions of treatments.

Further information about the Psoriasis in Practice course can be found at http://www.psoriasisinpractice.org.

About PAPAA: 

The Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance (PAPAA) is a registered UK charity dedicated to providing a positive approach to people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, through education, information, support and free advice.

For more information, visit http://www.papaa.org, follow PAPAA on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/PsoriasisInfo and the dedicated e-learning account at http://www.twitter.com/PsoriasisPiP. YouTube channel: http://www.papaa.tv

SOURCE The Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance (PAPAA)