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What a nurse brings to aesthetics
When we think about the UK Aesthetic industry, the first thing that comes to mind is how saturated it is- but not necessarily in the way we would like!
In fact, the other day, I was speaking to my managers at the hospital, when one of them asked me about my aesthetic business, and as I went to reply, the other manager made a remark, "you're one of those people." Although I didn't quite understand what she meant by her comment, or its undertone, this remark made me reflect on the way the aesthetic industry is viewed, and how its saturation or lack of regulation creates a negative image for people outside of it- annoying for those who take regulation as seriously as we do.
Furthermore, this made me wonder why there is such a negative image with aesthetics? Is it because of complications? Or is it because any average joe can become an aesthetic practitioner here in the UK in a matter of days. The UK is one of the few countries where anyone can become an aesthetic practitioner, so I decided to focus this blog on what a nurse brings to aesthetics?
Having undertaken my nursing education in Canada, I was always told that nursing school was one of the most challenging university programs to undertake. From the first year, we had undergone three semesters of anatomy and physiology. By second year, we had regular laboratory testing on various nursing skills including administration of injections. This was all done while Continuously learning the importance of assessments and developing therapeutic relationships with patients and clients whilst always risk averting.
In aesthetics, nurses possess a wealth of clinical knowledge when it comes to anatomy and physiology because they have already acquired the foundational knowledge from nursing school and continue to learn specifics regarding the areas in which they work.
Nurses offer the aesthetic world a wide range of skills, which are acquired from our first day and continue to develop throughout our years of experiences in clinical settings.
Keeping our work space clean and organized is one of the first skills we learn from the beginning. Maintaining sterility is a part of our DNA, so the importance of aseptic techniques and maintaining sterility is an integral part of what we do. What does this mean for aesthetics? We can all agree that walking into a clean, tidy, organized clinic is a great feeling of relief and reassurance. The assurance that your safety is in good hands and that optimum hygiene will be observed. This automatically creates a sense of security and a sense of peace of mind.
Identifying abnormalities and complications is something we do on a regular basis in our regular jobs within hospitals or communities. Early recognition and the appropriate escalation process are of utmost importance to us. When it comes to aesthetic complications, you can be assured that we will recognize them right away and can provide emergency treatment plans and protocols when needed! In fact we end up doing this for other practitioners who perhaps don’t carry the same level of skill.
Regulatory bodies such as the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) hold nurses accountable to adhere to professional standards to ensure that our clients are safe. Practicing effectively and safely is in our best interests, as our license can be revoked in a matter of seconds If it's found that we are putting the safety of our clients at risk. This would mean losing our careers which we have worked so hard to achieve, and frankly that's not a risk I'm willing to take.
Our professional background prepares us to recognize various mental health conditions that can have an impact on an individual's self-perception. Practitioners in aesthetics should be able to recognize whether a client's desire for invasive treatments is a result of underlying mental health illness, which could potentially cloud their judgment and desire for further treatment. We work closely with Kent Counselling to support our patients in clinic.
Nurse injectors have a professional obligation to do no harm, therefore nurses are not afraid to turn away patients if the desired treatments hold greater risk than benefit, with no desire solely to make a profit at the expense of our client’s health.
Taking care of our clients, their options, and their safety is our top priority. In order to deliver the best care, we follow evidence-based practices, we are committed to maintaining our skills and knowledge, we are committed to leaving our clients better off, happy with our results. We ensure we are accessible in times of emergency, and engage in continuing education and ensuring ALWAYS we work as a team.
La Ross Aesthetics is a Nurse-led clinic that follows and adheres to the guidelines set by the aesthetic industry as well as the nursing professional guidelines. Our clinic is proud to welcome our new and existing clients each and every day but we always stand by our standards- and in fact the boss encourages us to always say no, when we don’t believe it is the right course of action.
We work tirelessly to be the best! We stand as a strong team of aesthetic nurses and professionals proud and strong - ready to show the world how the industry should be!
We look forward to seeing you all soon,
THANK YOU FOR READING MY FIRST LA ROSS BLOG! If you like it, give it a like /share/comment!
Gift Thomas , RGN, BScN