White skin and melanin-rich skin, ie dark skin, can react in different ways to diseases.

For example, redness can be a sign of illness, but it looks different depending on skin color.

For almost three years, Ella Kellnor and her classmates have trained as nurses and during that time, the students have not encountered a single learning example where the patient had melanin-rich skin, she says.

- We have no specific skin education but we often talk about skin and how it can show signs of disease.

Risk of incorrect care

She believes that patients with melanin-rich skin may receive incorrect care or delayed diagnoses when education is lacking.

- Nurses have a responsibility to keep their knowledge up to date, but this is something that should basically be included in the education, just as it does with white skin, says Ella Kellnor.

This is how the university responds to the criticism

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"We take on board the criticism," says Kristina Lämås, program council chair at Umeå University, and promises change.

Photo: Lukas Johansson / SVT