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Development of a Skin Cancer Prevention ProgramGrace Hatmaker, RN, MSN, is a school nurse employed at Clovis High School, Clovis, CA The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now categorizes skin cancer as epidemic. Nearly 90% of these deadly cancers start from sun exposure during the childhood years. This makes sun exposure in school-age children a serious public health risk, also one that school nurses can address. Solar radiation is now classified as a "known human carcinogen," with ultraviolet rays joining the ranks of other known cancer-causing elements such as tobacco, arsenic, and radon. Sun exposure to unprotected skin results in painful burns, premature aging, cataracts, and weakened immune systems. School nurses can use the new CDC guidelines along with other local and state resources to develop a specific skin cancer prevention program for their schools. They are in a pivotal position to partner with students, parents, administrators, teachers, and coaches to reduce the occurrence of skin cancer in children. The article describes one high schools skin cancer prevention project.
Key Words: children melanoma prevention public health school nurse skin cancer
The Journal of School Nursing, Vol. 19, No. 2,
89-92 (2003) This article has been cited by other articles:
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