how do you become a plastic surgery nurse

[undecided]

Having had quite a few plastic surgery procedures myself, I am very interested in plastic surgery. I would love to work in an office administering botox and fillers, and doing other types of non surgical treatment. My question is, how does one break into this area? what type of experience are doctors looking for?

Thanks

Monica

[jenbrinkleyt]

I'm in Texas and my father is a plastic surgeon. He has is own private practice and has one nurse. I help out part time as a nursing student and it's pretty fun. There really aren't any specifics involved in becoming a plastic surgery nurse. I've never seen the nurse give restylane/radiesse/botox, it's usually the surgeion. It would be a good idea to have some surgery background or experience as a surgical nurse however. We had one scrub tech and one nurse but our scrub tech had to move when her husband was transferred. So I know the surgeons prefer to have nurses who will stay with them for a long time. So being at the right place at the right time is basically how you become a plastic surgery nurse. If you have any questions, I could always talk to you more.

[odinhoub2422]

do you know if there is a need for nurse practitioners in plastic surgery and if so how do you get experince?

[jdg0719]

Easy, go to 4 years of medical school plus another 4 of residency and then another 2-3 of specialty training.

[PetiteOpRN]

Plastic surgeons are the last "general" surgeons. They take care of fractures, burns, wounds, they do vascular surgery, microsurgery, and are the experts on peripheral nerve surgery. Within the field there are those who specialize in craniofacial surgery or even hand surgery. It is an incredibly diverse and demanding specialty.

When I went to nursing school, I got the following advice from a plastic surgeon: work for at least 5 years in an SICU (as a surgeon, he thought these nurses were really the cream of the crop). Plastic surgeons also consider themselves the most knowledgeable of any specialty when it comes to anatomy. So learning anatomy backwards and forwards is beneficial. For instance, I am expected to know which muscles are innervated by the anterior interosseous nerve, which was not something I learned in nursing school!

Be very careful about giving injections or even telling a potential employer that you would like to do so. Most MDs do not have the knowledge or experience to safely inject Botox and fillers. (All of the plastic surgeons that I know have done 6-year residencies, not 4, like another poster suggested, this is usually followed by a fellowship). They go to school that long for a reason. Many plastic surgeons would be very turned off if you came in and suggested that you wanted to do something like that.

[Hope1026]

I am a new nurse and want to pursue plastic surgery as well. I am having the hardest time even getting a med surg job in the area I live (which is not a small town). I would greatly appreciate someone giving me the opportunity to get CCU or ICU experience so that I may further my career in surgery. It just appears that everyone wants at least 1 to 2 years experience. Okay, how do I get that? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[EDRN-2010]

Easy, go to 4 years of medical school plus another 4 of residency and then another 2-3 of specialty training.

.....

[EDRN-2010]

Plastic surgeons are the last "general" surgeons. They take care of fractures, burns, wounds, they do vascular surgery, microsurgery, and are the experts on peripheral nerve surgery. Within the field there are those who specialize in craniofacial surgery or even hand surgery. It is an incredibly diverse and demanding specialty.

When I went to nursing school, I got the following advice from a plastic surgeon: work for at least 5 years in an SICU (as a surgeon, he thought these nurses were really the cream of the crop). Plastic surgeons also consider themselves the most knowledgeable of any specialty when it comes to anatomy. So learning anatomy backwards and forwards is beneficial. For instance, I am expected to know which muscles are innervated by the anterior interosseous nerve, which was not something I learned in nursing school!

Be very careful about giving injections or even telling a potential employer that you would like to do so. Most MDs do not have the knowledge or experience to safely inject Botox and fillers. (All of the plastic surgeons that I know have done 6-year residencies, not 4, like another poster suggested, this is usually followed by a fellowship). They go to school that long for a reason. Many plastic surgeons would be very turned off if you came in and suggested that you wanted to do something like that.

I get Botox injections for hyperhidrosis and the plastic surgeon's office I go to has a PA and NP that work for him, both of which do injections legally and the PA (and possibly the NP) are surgical assists and do suturing, etc during procedures. I think if and when you earn an advance practice degree, it would be safe to ask about injecting botox, restalyne, etc but not before.

[danceluver]

Any updates on this?