Cosmetic Nursing Job for New Grad - Advice Please

[SparkleRN]

Hi everyone - after 9 months of looking for a job as a new grad, I just landed an excellent opportunity with a plastic surgeon. My job would be several different types of lasers, injections (botox and fillers), and OR circulation and some scrubbing and recovery. I can't pass it up in this economy and I think I would be a great fit for this position. I am wondering if it will really limit me down the road, I still don't really know what kind of nurse I want to be, I originally thought I wanted to work in L&D, but I don't know. I really would prefer the 3 day per week schedule that the hospital offers (and overtime pay), on the other hand this is no nights/weekends/holidays.

Do you think this job will limit my options down the road? Or is any experience good experience? It's not acute care, but I figure it will open me up to the world of surgery centers, fertility clinics, maybe even home health. Do you think I will ever have a chance of working in a hospital again? Don't know that I would want to, I just want to know that I have that option if I need it. Regardless I'm taking the job and I'm super excited!

[dekagirlsRN]

Take. The. F'n Job.

Wow. Was that necessary?

[duckies, ASN]

congrats!!! Sooo jealous!!!!

[SparkleRN]

Thanks everyone! Just wanted to get some perspective. I'm really happy about my decision - everyone is friendly and I feel very relaxed. I agree that OR experience will really be to my benefit. Maybe it will be my 20 year career, who knows? And I definitely agree that it will benefit me more than unemployment! Thank you all for your well wishes and advice. And for whoever asked about the pay, it is 65k to start but I live in a pretty expensive area. New grads in the hospital start at about 72k here (and the market is flooded as a result). Hang in there fellow new grads - your day will come!!!

[jerzie0820]

WOW!! When I see ads about small surgery clinics looking for RN's, they're always looking for minimum one year experience! I'll be SO thrilled to work in one! You're really lucky you snagged the job hun ^_^ for me it's like doing two things i LOVE at the same time! lol. don't get me wrong though, i've NEVER had myself done and i don't think i ever will in the future. lol. good luck sweets and i wish you all the best!

i'm a new grad too by the way. with this economy, i would take whatever it is in the table. after several months of looking for a job, i finally founded one. not the best nor the one i really wanted, but it gives me the experience too. maybe even better than a hospital experience because it gives me a better chance to do so much more hands-on. i'm talking about one on one care, home health nursing and i love my agency :) they also let me do home visits but they give me materials to study and we also underwent training first before they let us on the job.

good luck to all new grads! there's always hope. it may not always be what we want the first time, but it will give us the experience. our time will come =]

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Sparkle... great news!!! Enjoy yourself!

[katie7]

Hello, I currently am a practice manager for a well established Plastic Surgeon in the West. I have been working as an Asthetic Nurse Specialist for over 10 years, it is extreamly competitive. New grads are unlikely to be hired for a plastics or high end derm with out a patient base as these docs are looking to drive injectable patients into their surgery practice. There is a misconception that people working in this area have it easy with high salaries. That may have been true even 3 years ago for highly experienced RN's, when fewer businesses like this were in the market. Many larger metro areas are saturated with med-spas.

Patients are paying out of pocket for these treatments as nothing is covered by insurance. In fact, insurance companies have made it very difficult to get a breast reduction covered. The reality in this economy is that an RN with no experience, and no patient following is going to make an average of $25 to $30 p/hour if they can get in. People receiving the treatments want someone with years of injecting experience, an excellent aesthetic eye and a more mature person delivering their treatments. Generally speaking women do not want to take anti-aging advice from someone in their 20's who has not experienced any aging issues? A large part of the Aesthetic Nurse is managing patient expectations.

Med-spas unless owned or medically managed by a Plastic surgeon or a Derm are lower paying as they do not have the surgeon dollars to keep the business stable. In our practice, the skin care and injectables break even and are there as a convience for the surgical patients. I find that Gen practitioners, OB's Dentists etc. have no idea what they are getting into when they open a med-spa and usually don't make it in this business for more than a year or do the injections themselves. They are also unable to back you up as they have no real practical experience in managing complications in this area. The injectable products are expensive, lasers 100k and monthly payments are factored into the cost of the treatments. Overhead is high, this is a business and bottom line, aesthetic procedure profit margin for the practice or doctor is very tight and the doctor is going to make the money not the staff.

In some states Plastic Surgeons and Dermatologist are pursuing legislation to regulate who, how and where treatments can be administered. This is a valid issue as it is still a medical procedure and things can go wrong quickly. I have expereinced full blown grand mal sezure of a patient during a "simple Botox treatment".

Recently, the Doc I work for sent me to a demo for a laser assisted liposuction device, there was not one plastic surgeon in the room! I had more experience using this device than the pain management MD, or the Internal medicine MD etc, at the demo. These doctors are not Board Certified in Plastic Surgery and only one had surgical experience as a semi-retired OB. You put yourself at risk assisting these docs.

On another note, some states have no regulation on estheticians doing Botox, these tecs have no science, no anatomy and no idea where facial nerves are etc. I am unsure how they can be covered under malpractic insurance?

I may be painting a bleak picture, but having been in this arena for awhile I've seen the trends.

[lsvalliant]

Wow. Was that necessary?

Lighten up.

You are the luckiest B in the world. CONGRATS!!

[Sunglitz56]

Hey SparkleRN I know this post is old as it is now Jan 2013 but I was wondering how you managed to land that job at the plastic surgeons office? That is the field I am seeking. It is why I wanted to become a nurse in the first place. How are you still liking the job now 2.5 years later? Any info you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Also, are you in California?

[angcRN]

I say go for it!!!!! I am an ICU trained nurse of 4.5 years and I am in the aesthetic specialty area of this site because this is what I want to go in to!!! Wish I had that same job offer. Nursing is soooo versatile. If you don't like it then you can always switch and get trained in another field.

[Tvedra]

wow , how did you find this job? ive been looking for something like this with no luck.