Excessive Exposure to UV Rays Causes Melanoma in Australian Population

Introduction
This assessment aids to discuss the excessive exposure to UV rays causes melanoma in the
Australian population. Australia is the country which accommodates more people with
melanoma. According to the recent statistics, out of 3 Australians, 2 are diagnosed with the
melanoma. Men are the high risk group to get affected by the disease condition than women.
Increased rate of melanoma in Australia is due to the skin type they acquire which is not
appropriate for the climate and environment. Other causes for the increased melanoma cases
in Australia are the tanning beds. Recent research proves that the people who had extensive
exposure to the ultra violet rays in the tanning cubicle developed a specific type of skin
cancer called melanoma (Watts 2018). In the year of 2014, the Australian government
banned the commercial tanning beds when new cases and continuous deaths reported with
melanoma. However, this paper argues that the UV ray exposure through tanning beds is
reduced whereby the melanoma rate is still not significantly reduced with the supporting peer
viewed research journals and Meta analysis.
Topic Identification
Melanoma is a common type of skin cancer among Australian. It is categorised as 19th
common skin cancer that affects the world population. Statistical studies done in the year
2018 states that about 40.4% of men in the Australian population are affected by
melanoma (Guitera 2019). About 13,280 new cases are discovered and 1,770 are dying
of melanoma every year. Melanoma is the skin cancer associated with serious
complications. Pigment generating cells in the body multiply and develop as cancerous
cells. Melanoma is commonly found among people with dark skin. It is the less common
skin cancer when compared to other types of skin cancers, but metastasize is fast and it
can affect all the neighbouring organs (Savoye 2017). Cancer council and the health

department of prioritizing melanoma as a national health problem and working towards
to control and cure.
Another factor that is believed to be the causative factor for melanoma is the country’s
geo-location which resides with closer proximity of the South Pole of the globe. The
ozone layer in the South Pole has a hole which allows the UV rays without filtering,
which increases the exposure. Cancer council of Australia conduct various awareness
programs to control melanoma (Sample 2018). Social websites of the cancer council are
added with new preventive measures of melanoma. National Skin Cancer Action Week
is conducted by the cancer council to alert people about one of the dangerous skin cancer
found among Australians. Since melanoma is considered to be the dangerous skin cancer
with fast metastasises, prevention is the only method to control the disease condition.
The health department of Australia and the cancer council create awareness among
schoolchildren to prevent the little citizens from the dreadful disease (Lindqvist 2016).
In spite of the efforts taken by the government of Australia, the melanoma cases are not
reduced significantly. Because excessive exposure to UV rays is one of the causes of
melanoma incidence. The disease condition holds many reasons to emerge in an individual.
Fair skin, family history, age, gender, weak immune system, light coloured hair, history of an
organ transplant are other common causes believed to be causing melanoma. Cancer council
upholds the excessive UV exposure as the cause for the melanoma (Watts 2017). The
government of Australia and cancer council is not focussed on all the causative factors of
melanoma. Because most of the literature based evidence confirms that excessive exposure is
the major cause of melanoma. Research scholars have not taken interest to study on the other
causative factors of melanoma especially about the hereditary nature of the skin cancer. Since
hereditary may increase the number of Australian citizens affected with melanoma.

Melanoma is the skin cancer which causes nightmares to the people, because of the nature of
illness, complications, treatment, and survival after the course of treatment. Due to the
painful course of treatment and complication, people prefer prevention better than cure.
Cancer council of Australia recommends support shade for children, and sun protection
materials like sun glass, proper clothing, and sunscreen (Adler 2019).It also recommends the
people to avoid sun exposure from 10 is till 3 pm which is considered to be a difficult task for
people who work under the sun. People involved in construction, agriculture, farming, traffic
police, and people in road works cannot avoid sun exposure (Trakatelli 2016). People who
are prone to UV ray exposure can use sun protective materials and sunscreen to prevent the
skin from melanoma. Ottawa Charter for health promotion created awareness about ill effects
of UV rays, the importance of sun protection, support shade for children, and sun protection
materials like sun glass, proper clothing, and sunscreen.
A nurse has to be aware of the health issue that significantly affects the major population of
the country. Melanoma is the skin cancer affects most of the Australian citizens. Every year
new cases are discovered and death caused by the dreadful disease also increases. Research
study on the cause of the disease condition improves the clinical knowledge on the specific
disease condition and encourages implementing the literature based nursing intervention in
the nursing practice (Cleaver 2016). It improves the knowledge about the critical analysis of
the diseases condition supported by the literature review. Knowledge gained will help the
nurse to provide quality nursing care.
Evidence Based practice
Primarily, Health care professionals handle the lives of many people, thus the actions
towards the prevention and health promotion have to be an evidence practice. Evidence
based practice in nursing care is implementing the nursing action with the rational that is

supported by the research evidence. Evidence based practice is the updated formula of
the nursing care which improves the clinical knowledge of the nurse and the health of the
patient. All the nursing interventions are supported by the rationale which helps the nurse
to be aware of the action and the reaction. Evidence based nursing practice prevents
failure and errors (Ellis 2019). Medical expertise formulates the evidence based nursing
practice to implement in the patient cares which are practiced for the speedy recovery of
the patient. A nurse can implement the evidence based nursing practice according to self
perception or with the patient’s point of view.
Searchable Clinical Question
The clinical question can be formulated with the support of PICO the clinical question
formula which focuses on the outcome. It is commonly used in the health care industry
for the research purpose. The affected population is stated as adults with the age ranging
from 30-60 years (Sinclair 2018). The intervention to prevent melanoma is to reduce the
exposure to UV rays. Comparison of the study is done with the people who had less
exposure to the UV rays. The outcome is the prevention of melanoma.
P (Population) = adults with 30-60 years
I (Intervention) = No UV exposure
C (Comparison) = more UV exposure
O (Outcome) = prevention of melanoma
Population Intervention Comparison Outcome
adults with
30-60
years
No UV
exposure
More UV
exposure
prevention
of