Innovate, Integrate, and Elevate: The Next Era of Dermatology Nursing
With a mission to cultivate a supportive community and provide resources for current and aspiring dermatology nurses, nurse practitioners, nursing students, and other members of the care team, the Dermatology Nurses’ Association (DNA) has spent nearly 5 decades supporting the professionals who care for patients with dermatologic conditions. Dermatology today looks very different from when DNA was founded. Advances in treatments, technology, procedures, and clinical roles have transformed our specialty and expanded how we care for our patients. As dermatology continues to evolve, the professionals working within the field must continue to learn, connect, and grow with it.
As president of DNA, I was very intentional selecting this year’s convention theme. I wanted it to provide a framework for how we approach the evolving landscape of dermatology while considering where dermatology nursing is today, where it is headed, and how DNA can continue to support and shape its future. Our theme, “Innovate, Integrate, and Elevate: The Next Era of Dermatology Nursing,” reflects that vision and the opportunity we have as an organization to continue serving our members, strengthening our profession, and contributing to the future of dermatologic care. Together, these 3 words—innovate, integrate, and elevate—remind us to remain open to new ideas and new ways of learning; to bring different perspectives, areas of expertise, and organizations together; and to continue elevating the professionals who make up our specialty. Most importantly, they reflect something DNA has always valued: We are stronger when we learn, collaborate, and move forward together.
Our annual convention is one of the best examples of this. Each year, it brings members of the dermatology community together to learn from experts, exchange ideas, develop new skills, and build relationships. The value of the convention goes beyond the educational sessions themselves; it is the hallway conversations, the connections made between sessions, the opportunities to meet someone who practices differently, and the relationships that continue long after everyone returns home. That sense of community is one of DNA’s greatest strengths.
As dermatology has grown, so has the number of organizations and individuals contributing to the specialty. The dermatology community holds tremendous knowledge and expertise, and there is an opportunity to bring more of it together. This is where I believe the next era of dermatology nursing can be especially exciting. Rather than thinking about professional organizations as separate communities, we can look for opportunities to work together, learn from one another, and create experiences that benefit the broader dermatology community. Collaboration allows us to share expertise, expand educational opportunities, introduce members to new perspectives, and build relationships that might not otherwise happen.
DNA is already looking ahead in this direction as we work with other like-minded dermatology organizations toward a shared convention experience next year. Bringing organizations together allows us to combine our strengths while still honoring what makes each organization unique. It creates an opportunity for members to learn from a broader group of experts, connect with professionals outside their usual circles, and experience dermatology education from multiple perspectives. It also creates something that cannot be achieved by one organization alone: a larger community connected by a shared commitment to dermatology.
For nearly 5 decades, DNA has provided education, professional development, mentorship, connection, and a community for those working in dermatology. That foundation matters. As we look toward the future, our responsibility is to carry this foundation forward while staying open to how our specialty and our members are changing. We get to work toward creating what the next generation of dermatology professionals needs through meaningful opportunities for education and connection and stronger relationships within the dermatology community as a whole.
This year's convention theme gave us the framework to change how we approach next year's convention. Innovate. Integrate. Elevate. Together, these words capture the direction of a specialty that continues to change and an organization committed to growing alongside it. They remind us to stay curious, value collaboration, and recognize that elevating dermatology nursing is something we accomplish together. As we look toward next year and the possibility of bringing organizations together for a shared convention, I am excited about what can happen when we expand the circle.
The future of dermatology nursing cannot be shaped by one organization or one profession alone. It will be shaped by nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, physicians, medical assistants, students, educators, researchers, and other professionals who bring their knowledge and experience to the specialty. It will also be shaped by our willingness to connect with one another. DNA has a strong history to build upon. We can honor that history while continuing to look forward, welcoming new ideas, new partnerships, and new opportunities for our members and our profession. DNA has been instrumental in shaping the foundation of dermatology nursing for nearly 5 decades, and as we come together with other dermatology organizations for next year’s convention, we have an opportunity to help define what comes next.
Nina Nalini Harry is a board-certified family nurse practitioner, the founder and owner of Comprehensive Laser & Aesthetics in Columbia, MD, and the president of DNA.
