What are cosmetic nurse jobs?

Elsewhere on this site we give a good overview of what being a cosmetic nurse means. Here, we go into more details. So if you've ever wondered what a cosmetic nursing job is about read on!

Cosmetic nurse jobs are those where you provide nursing assistance during surgical procedures that are designed to change the way people look.

These are different from plastic surgeries as those tend to be for restorative procedures following the damage caused by a bad accident.

What are cosmetic nurse jobs?

Cosmetic nursing is concerned with elective procedures that individuals pay for to change the way that they look.

This might be something like the well-known operations of face-lifts, nose-jobs, tummy tucks or breast enlargements. Sometimes, it is done for therapeutic reasons; for instance, breast reductions are carried out to reduce back pain.

You are likely to also perform non-surgical procedures too. Generally, these concentrate on facial alteration by adding substances to decrease wrinkles or remove old skin.

For instance, you might carry out Botox injections, dermabrasion or laser techniques. It is possible that you will also have responsibility for clinical management and ensuring legislative compliance.

Day to day duties involve wound observation and dressing, analysis of tests, drawing blood, pre-operative patient screening and medical histories, maintain high standards of practice, monitoring patient’s vital signs and possibly preparing the operating rooms for surgery and providing follow-up care for individuals.

Generally, you’ll work during the day-time with occasional evenings. It is very unlikely that you will have to work overnight but do check with any prospective employer before taking on a job.

You may also find work that involves travelling as a field nurse to give consultancies or part-time work where you cover for other nurses on an as-needed basis.

Where can I work in my cosmetic nurse job?

The NHS rarely carries out cosmetic surgery. There are a few exceptions to this rule, however, and occasionally, it is decided to be the best course of action for a patient.

For instance, overlarge breasts can cause a great deal of hardship, both physically and emotionally. In some cases, doctors will decided that a reduction is in the patient’s best interests.

Similarly, you may work with people with disfigurements (like birthmarks) who find that they really want to remove them and look more typical.It is far more likely that you’ll find cosmetic nurse vacancies in the private sector.

Britons spend hundreds of millions of pounds every year on cosmetic surgery, making the availability of cosmetic nurse jobs a high possibility!

Across the globe in 2009, we spent £3.2 billion on procedures.

It is important to note that, due to this increased demand, some doctors are offering procedures without being sufficiently trained for it. If you are considering applying for a cosmetic nurse job, be ever so sure to check that the surgeon is a specialist in the area and a registered member of the appropriate country’s board of plastic surgeons!

Taking part in a bodge-job procedure could have dire consequences for your career.

What kind of person does cosmetic nursing suit?

As with the majority of nursing vacancies, it helps to be friendly, approachable and organised.

Whilst (hopefully) your clients shouldn’t be quite as fearful as normal patients because they have chosen to undergo procedures, having a really positive interpersonal manner will help.

Even elective processes like aesthetic work are still rather alarming to think about!

Cosmetic nursing jobs often involve a certain amount of sales work too so real enthusiasm, drive and openness will help you in this part of your role. Often, job descriptions do state that previous sales experience would be helpful to your application.

Finally, a professional or amateur interest in beauty therapy will also, of course, help.

How do you train for this kind of work?

Despite being part of the aesthetic discipline, these roles are still nurse jobs. You need your nursing degree and registration like any other nurse job. Many employers like to see some experience in beauty therapy too.

If you don’t have a nurse degree, you may be able to work as an advisor, skin therapist, clinic manager or in sales and marketing whilst you consider training as an actual nurse.

It is likely that an NVQ Level 3 in Beauty Therapy will be needed for these areas, however.

Career progression in cosmetic nursing

If you are truly committed and really want to devote yourself to aesthetic medicine, there is now a Master’s at Greenwich in Aesthetic Medicine for doctors, dentists and aesthetic nurses.

This course focuses on skin care, chemicals, fillers, nutrition, research and ethics.If you really enjoy the interpersonal communication side of aesthetic nursing, some vacancies offer sales bonuses for driven employees.Alternatively, you can use this career path to travel the world!

Cosmetic surgery in undertaken in many countries around the world and places like Thailand, South Africa, Jamaica, Central America are becoming known for their cosmetic surgery holiday packages.

What now?

If you’re interested in finding a cosmetic nurse vacancy, you can do so easily at our cosmetic nurse jobs page and have a poke around. If you want to search more specifically, you can alter the results by location, sector or career level.