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History - International Skin care Nursing Group

The International Skin care Nursing Group was initiated in 1998 by a group of nurses in Oxford, England who had concerns about skin care provision globally. Their view, that there was a need for consensus on issues related to nursing people with compromised skin function, has since been ratified in a number of different quarters. The group is primarily about networking and influencing policy, practice, research and education.

Some key initial meetings occurred which spurred on the development of the group:

April 1999
VIIIth International Congress of Dermatology, Cairo, Egypt saw the first international meeting of the group where nurses from a number of different countries agreed on the need for international collaboration. Despite differences of culture and resource availability the concerns about patient education, patient self-management and providing services in communities were the same.

October 1999
European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, Amsterdam. The Netherlands saw the second international meeting of the group and the establishment of the European Skin Care Nursing Network (ESNN). This group will focus on issues pertinent to nurses working in Europe, which will be enormously diverse. However, good communication links mean that establishing local groups is a realistically achievable target. Many other issues are to be tackled, including the availability of quality educational preparation for nurses in caring for the skin and the use of information technology to communicate and educate. The ESNN will work as an integral part of the ISNG but with a specific focus on Europe.

February 2000
GlaxoSmithKline and the British Department for International Development (DfID) (through the Liverpool Lymphatic Filariasis Support Centre) awarded a grant to ISNG for a period of 3 years.

May 2000
Appointment of the International Project Co-ordinator based at the University of Southampton.

2000-2003
International Project Co-ordinator worked at the University of Southampton supporting a number of projects which enabled ISNG to develop a presence globally.  Of key importance was the work with The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis.  Also during this time two key conferences were organised.  Firstly a wound and skin care meeting for nurses in Moshi, Tanzania (the first of its kind) and secondly a meeting of nurses at the World Congress of Dermatology in Paris (another first).

2003-2007
During this period no funding was available to support the work of ISNG, however Advisory Board members continued to work hard in their own countries, developing meetings and conferences.

2007 - present
Financial support is being provided by Merck Serono enabling ISNG to continue working actively on its aims and objectives.

If you require further information, please contact ISNG.