How to become a Botox Nurse?
Many nurses are moving from the public healthcare sector to the commercial world. But why? Partly because they are desperately unhappy with the working conditions within the NHS and partly because they can see a very bright and positive future working in narrower fields such as aesthetics within the private sector. Everyone has their own story but underneath lies a familiar thread that runs throughout the situation we are seeing today. Nurses in particular, have to work to a very high, degree standard of education, yet the day to day job and its rather lacking rewards are not matching up to all that blood sweat and tears. So it seems as though the effort really has been much greater than the reward.
It’s true that the emotional job satisfaction is probably outstanding – you set out to make people better and mostly that is what you achieve. But that result is not exclusive to the NHS. Helping people to feel better – whatever their problem – is a fantastic day’s work. It is probably no co-incidence that in repeat studies over many years, the happiest profession is the beauty and spa-treatment world! Happy clients = happy professionals.
It has even been documented that the aesthetics industry is important in complementing the public health sector. It is believed that the positivity and sense of well being might lead to better physical health, thereby reducing the pressure on our much loved NHS.
There are many benefits to joining the private sector – and in particular becoming a BOTOX® nurse.
Naturally, your chances of improving your pay greatly increase, but this will depend upon the employment or business you plan to start. But, hour by hour, the rate is generally much better throughout most of the UK.
Flexible working conditions, especially if you have a family, are one of the most important reasons cited by those who make the change over to the commercial sector. In many other jobs, the demand to get that work-life balance right is starting to reap the rewards, and working for a BOTOX practice or starting your own will certainly offer more opportunities to negotiate what is right for you.
Simplifying your life! It sounds simple but one of today’s main causes for stressed-out workers is that their job is almost too varied – they are expected to be experts and efficient in so many disciplines. By concentrating on just one or two treatments you can be more effective and in control. Your clients will probably have more confidence in you too!
Because you are virtually qualified you are fit to start very quickly and transition very smoothly.
Your qualifications and the bold on training
The government has led a significant review of the private aesthetics practices due to a general opinion that procedures such as injectibles carry significant risks and should therefore only be administered by highly qualified medics. For the fully detailed chart on qualifications read the HEE Guidelines Part 2. As a fully qualified nurse at Level 6 (Bachelor Degree) you are already set for the extra training modules for each discipline. Each subject is an Industry Qualification and “credit” towards Level 7 (Post Graduate like a Masters degree). These training courses need to be CDP-accredited if you wish to keep your Registered Nurse valid through the Revalidation process that is required by law.
Training courses like the ones at Medical and Aesthetics Training Academy (MATA) are ideal for this purpose. The Foundation and Advanced options will provide you with online and interacting learning, classroom tutorage, hands on practice with dissectible materials and live models. The assessment and patient care aspects complete all your learning requirements for a training course that goes above the legal requirements. What’s more you will benefit from post course support with our team of BOTOX® and skin experts.
You may feel you could take on another similar treatment in the form of Dermal Fillers. These two training courses combine well together at MATA.
A step by step guide
Getting the training and qualifications from scratch is not a quick fix. You will need to have a thorough understanding of medical practices and patient care before you can get to the clinician stage:
- Consider your long term business goals and what really want to achieve by moving into the aesthetics world. Do you want to keep to just one injectible treatment or study multiple disciplines?
- Apply for a nursing degree at a university hospital or other reputable college. There is a variety of nursing subjects so it’s not all blood and bed-pans!
- Work in a suitable field of nursing using your particular type of nursing qualification and skills so you can set yourself up for the commercial world
- Attend a post graduate training course for each discipline. At MATA the BOTOX course is a blended learning approach as follows:
· Online theory which can be studied in your own time via our university-standard learning platform with interactive tests.
· Tutorials with hands-on practice with cadaverous materials progressing to live models.
· Clinic-based assessments and completion of a log book.
· Written examinations.
Foundation Level covers:
- Facial Anatomy
- Optional dissection and injectable practice on cadavers
- Different types/brands of Botulinum Toxin
- Medical history, consent forms and note taking
- Patient assessment
- Frown lines
- Forehead lines
- Crow’s feet
- Brow lifting
- Achieving a natural result with Botox
- Pre-treatment and post-treatment care
- Possible complications, contraindications and how to avoid/deal with them
- Demonstrations
- Practical training on models
Advanced Level covers:
- Excess sweating (hyperhidrosis)
- Definition of the chin/jaw (bruxism)
- How to correct a down-turned smile
- Brow lift
- Reduce a “gummy” smile
- Smoker’s lines around the mouth
- Nefertiti lift
The training sessions at our centres are 1 day courses. For the Level 7 qualification you will be required to observe and carry out 10 treatments.
Spend some time working in a well –established clinic or hospital to gain your experience in the profession and learn marketing expertise before you consider starting your own business. If you do decide to start up your own business there is plenty of support on hand from the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses (BACN) http://www.bacn.org.uk. After all, you will a business owner not just a practitioner of BOTOX®.
Summary
Make no mistake BOTOX® is not a fad, it is most definitely here to stay. It has been part of the medical and aesthetics industry for many years, and what is making it even more popular today is that as a medicinal serum, it has such a good safety record. However, the prescription and administration of it is not to be under valued. Only qualified and most experienced professionals should be injecting this product into a person’s skin. And all this expertise can only come from excellent training. Even with nursing skills, it’s the in-depth training with plenty of hands on practice that will make for the best BOTOX® nurse in town!
