Learning Modules to Enhance Nursing Education About Assessment of Diverse Skin Tones

OBJECTIVE: – Accurate assessment of skin and skin changes across diverse populations is critical for patient health. To promote the knowledge and skills nurses need in practice to identify skin changes, nurse educators must include content on assessment of diverse skin tones in nursing education programs. This study’s objective was to develop and pilot education modules about the assessment of diverse skin tones to be part of an undergraduate nursing course. METHODS: – In this quality improvement project, modules highlighted the importance of skin assessment and appropriate techniques for assessing erythema, pallor, cyanosis, and jaundice on diverse skin tones. Undergraduate nursing students completed a questionnaire evaluating the modules and their learning experience. RESULTS: – The majority of students (≥70%) agreed or highly agreed that the modules were interesting, informative, engaging, and increased their knowledge. Comments to open-ended questions supported their evaluation ratings. CONCLUSIONS: – Undergraduate nursing students positively received education modules on assessing patients with diverse skin tones. Students perceived the modules as having the potential to enhance their learning and assessment skills to prevent and detect skin changes associated with pressure injury. The modules serve as an example of a strategy to integrate education content about diverse skin tones into nursing curricula.