How Can Nurse Practitioners Learn Cosmetic Procedures?

Trying to get experience as a nurse practitioner is like the proverbial chicken or the egg question. Job postings, for example, may require that applicants know how to suture or do trigger point injections. With employers unwilling to hire without experience, how are you supposed to become proficient with such procedures? Dermatology is one specialty where it can be particularly difficult to land a position without prior procedural training.

I’m not certified in Botox, fillers, or other cosmetic procedures myself, so I turned to an expert for help in answering the question “Just how can nurse practitioners get experience with cosmetic procedures?”. A former NP program classmate of mine turned derm NP filled me in.

There are two main ways to go about learning how to perform cosmetic procedures such as Botox and Juvederm. First, you can attend a workshop specifically designed to teach these skills. These workshops are in-person seminars offering hands-on training similar to continuing medical education conferences you may have attended in the past. They can be expensive often costing well above the $1,000 mark. An employer may help foot the bill for training as offering cosmetic procedures can be a significant revenue generator for a medical practice. It never hurts to ask, right?

If you can’t find a seminar that fits your needs or simply don’t want to fork over your hard earned cash for a cosmetic education, you can set up training directly through pharmaceutical companies. This option is offered free of charge and the drug company supplies sample products at no cost to nurse practitioners in training. For example, an Allergan pharmaceutical representative can train nurse practitioners on proper use of the products Botox and Juvederm. Galderma representatives can train nurse practitioners to use the products Restylane and Dysport.

Given the highly visible nature of cosmetic procedures and the risk of complications, it is essential that nurse practitioners go through the proper channels to become proficient in this area before offering these services in their practice. Don’t forget to check your state’s scope of practice laws as well. In some states, NPs may be required to have physician supervision in order to offer these procedures. States often have strict regulations when it comes to operating med-spas, so carefully read these guidelines to keep your clinic in compliance.

Dermatology NPs – how did you learn to perform cosmetic procedures?

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