How to Become an Aesthetic Nurse, Career Near Me
How to Become an Aesthetic Nurse, Career Near Me
If you’re looking for a rewarding, exciting career in the medical field, you might want to consider becoming an aesthetic nurse. An aesthetic nurse, also called a cosmetic nurse, helps patients who are dealing with skin ailments, or undergoing plastic or cosmetic surgery. If this sounds like a career you’d be interested in, you’ll need to first become an RN, then gain experience as a nurse before pursuing your nurse aesthetician certification.
Part 1 Obtaining Your Nursing Degree and License.
1. Earn your high school diploma or GED. In order to be accepted into a nursing program, you’ll need to have either your high school diploma or an equivalent certificate, like the GED. If you’re still in high school, try to focus on science-based classes like anatomy, biology, chemistry, and psychology to give you a better foundation for your medical studies.
Courses in math and statistics may also help prepare for your college classes.
Depending on the university you plan to attend, you’ll also likely need to take a college entrance exam like the SATs or the ACT.
2. Enroll in an RN program at an accredited college. To become an RN, you can enroll in either a 2-year associate’s (ADN) or a 4-year bachelor’s program (BSN). Both will provide you with the training that you need, but a BSN will involve more academic and in-depth medical courses, and it may be preferred by some employers. Either way, make sure that the program is accredited within your state; otherwise your degree may not be considered valid by your state nursing board.
Typically, a school will advertise on its website or brochures whether it is accredited.
When you’re looking at different schools, ask about their NCLEX-RN passing rate. Try to find a school with a passing rate of 70% or higher, as this indicates that the program prepares its students well for the exam.
3. Study hard and complete all of your coursework and clinicals. Nursing school is well-known for being difficult, and you often must maintain a certain grade point average, or GPA, in order to continue. Take thorough notes in all of your classes, and set aside time each day to read through your notes and your textbook. Also, pay careful attention in clinicals, since you’ll be gaining important hands-on experience.
To prepare for tests, use your notes, flash cards, and practice quizzes so you’ll be familiar with the material.
It’s also usually a good idea to form or join a study group. Not only will you have other people who may be able to clarify anything you don’t understand, but the social support can be really valuable during difficult times.
4. Submit your license application to your state board after you graduate. Each state has its own board of nursing, so after graduation, you’ll need to send a license application to the board in the state where you plan to work. As part of the application, have your official transcripts sent to the board, and submit to a criminal background check and fingerprinting.
Any further instructions should be included in your application packet.
If you plan to work in more than one state, you’ll either need to apply for an individual license for each state, or you can obtain a multi-state license, known as a Nurse Licensure Compact, or NLC.
5. Take and pass the NCLEX-RN exam. If the state board determines that you’re eligible for a nursing license, they’ll send you a packet or email containing instructions on how to register for the NCLEX-RN, which is the exam you have to take to become an RN. The packet will include instructions on how to pay the registration fee and a code, called an Authorization to Test (ATT), that will allow you to sign up. Once you sign up, use practice quizzes, study books, flashcards, and prep courses to help you study for the exam, and start studying at least 3-4 weeks before the exam.
The NCLEX-RN is a multiple-choice test that’s administered on the computer. It will cover a range of subjects testing your medical knowledge, including different disorders and their treatments, health promotion, and management of care.
The fees for the NCLEX-RN vary by state.
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) provides test plans for the NCLEX exam. These can be a valuable study aid, since they outline what will be covered and will help you become familiar with the test layout.
Tip: It will take about a month to get the results after you take the test.
6. Wait 45 days and re-test if you don’t pass the first time. The NCLEX-RN is graded pass or fail, but if you don’t get a passing score on the first try, don’t worry. Different states have different rules regarding taking the test again, but in general, you can take it as many times as you want. You just have to wait 45 days between tests, and you’ll have to pay the fee again.
Double-check with your state board for further instructions.
7. Follow state regulations for renewing your license. Once you become a licensed nurse, you’ll need to keep your license current to continue practicing in the field. Depending on the state you live in, you may be required to submit a renewal application every year or every other year.
Typically, the requirements for renewal include some form of continuing education credits.
Part 2 Earning Your Aesthetic Nurse Specialist Certification.
1. Create a resume listing your nursing skills. Nurses are typically in high demand, so once you’re licensed, you’ll likely encounter plenty of job opportunities. To ensure you make a good impression on your application, take some time to create a neat, professional resume, highlighting your education, any relevant work experience (such as clinicals, summer jobs, or internships), and any particular skills you have.
For instance, you might want to include whether you were a part of any special clubs or received any academic awards while you were in school.
2. Try to find a position working for a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. You’ll need to work as an RN for about 3-5 years to gain the experience you’ll need to earn your nurse aesthetician certificate. Since cosmetic nursing is a highly-competitive field, having relevant work experience, such as working in a plastic surgery clinic, another medical-surgical field, or a dermatologists’ office, will make you stand out among other applicants later on.
While you’ll need at least 2 years of plastic surgical nursing experience under a board-certified physician, don’t worry if you don’t find a position doing that right away. Find a position assisting in a different type of surgery if you can, then move into that field when something becomes available.
Did You Know? You can work as a staff nurse, a teacher, a researcher, or even a nurse administrator to gain the experience you’ll need.
3. Work at least 1000 hours under a supervising plastic surgeon. In order to get your Certified Aesthetic Nurse Specialist (CANS) certificate, you’ll have to have at least 1000 working hours of plastic surgical nursing experience within the 2 years prior to the certification exam. During this time, you’ll assist in surgical procedures, and you may administer treatments such as fillers and liposuction under the physician’s supervision.
Your supervising physician will need to endorse your CANS application.
4. Take and pass the PCNCB certification exam. The CANS certification exam is administered by the Plastic Surgical Nursing Certification Board, or PCNCB. Spend 3-4 weeks reviewing the textbook issued by the PCNCB to ensure you’ll be prepared for the exam, which will cover subjects such as aesthetic injectables, light- and laser-based therapies, and skin care.
For more information about what will be found on the test, visit http://psncb.org/multimedia/files/CANS/Test-Specifications.pdf.
The test is offered throughout the year at locations across the U.S. The cost is $295 if you’re not a member of the PCNCB, and $195 if you are a member.
5. Find work as an aesthetic nurse once you're certified. Once you receive your CANS certificate, you'll be ready to find a position as a cosmetic nurse. While this field does have high competition, your skills will be in demand at plastic and cosmetic surgery clinics, dermatologists' offices, medical spas, and other offices that offer fillers, liposuction, and cosmetic procedures.
Check job boards online or contact clinics directly to find places that are seeking an aesthetic nurse.
6. Renew your certification every 3 years. In order to maintain your CANS license, you’ll need to recertify by either retaking the exam or through continuing education. If you opt for continuing education, you’ll need 45 credit hours, which must be issued by an accredited program.
30 of those hours must be related to plastic surgery, ophthalmology, dermatology, or facial plastic surgery.
You’ll also need at least 2 hours related to patient safety.
7. Enroll in an accredited graduate-level program if you want to become an NP. If you want to continue advancing your career, you might consider becoming a Nurse Practitioner. As an NP, you’ll be able to diagnose patients and prescribe medicine to them, and you’ll have more responsibilities. In some areas, you may even be able to practice without physician supervision.
In a graduate-level cosmetic nursing program, you’ll study the biology of the skin, including different skin conditions and the treatments for those conditions.
You’ll also study burn care, reconstructive surgery, and other skin-related procedures
