As community nurses increasingly visit patients in their own homes to perform wound care, continence care or other common community nursing tasks, they may notice various skin conditions in the course of examining or treating patients. In order to provide holistic care, it is important that community nurses have a working knowledge of the variety of infections and infestations that can affect an individual's skin. This article takes a look at some of the more common skin infections/infestations — impetigo, fungal infections, viral warts, and scabies — and provides information on presentation, assessment and treatment.