7 Signs You’re Ready for a Career Change in Nursing: Is Medical Aesthetics Right for You?

It takes an incredible amount of dedication and grit to become a nurse, and those who do and go on to provide stellar patient care should be lauded. But it’s no secret that modern health care has become even more stressful and taxing at times than it used to be. Nurse burnout, especially in hospital settings, is becoming more and more prevalent, with as much as 30 percent of nurses quitting their jobs in 2018*. Even the most passionate nurses may reach a level of frustration in their current setting and desire growth for themselves and new ways to impact patients. Could medical aesthetics be the fulfilling next step?

Why Nurses Are Transitioning Into Aesthetics

For many nurses who make the transition into aesthetics, job satisfaction skyrockets. Helping patients reach their goals and watching their confidence soar is incredibly rewarding for many nurses. Working with clients who are healthy and are seeking professional help for cosmetic improvement offers new challenges and exciting patient outcomes. The working hours–and the stress levels–can give you back your personal life and greatly improve your mental health. With clinical and patient care experience under your belt, you are already ahead of the game.

7 Signs You’re Ready for a Career Change in Nursing

1. You’re Craving More Work-Life Balance

Working as a nurse in any hospital department typically means odd hours and plenty of overtime. That can equal fatigue that is both physical and emotional. In aesthetics, you could get back your nights and weekends and restore work-life balance. Spend more time with family and friends, take better care of yourself and your needs, and enjoy more flexibility in your work schedule.

2. You Love Patient Care—But Want a New Kind of Impact

Nursing is critically important for ill and injured patients, and some nurses thrive in high-stress, fast-paced settings like ERs or other hospital specialties. But some are ready for a switch, and aesthetics provides a new kind of fulfillment. Nurses who switch to aesthetics often report that the opportunity to significantly improve someone’s confidence about themselves is transformative. Aesthetic patients sometimes leave with a new lease on life because of their enhancement procedure, and their quality of life is that much better.

3. You’re Curious About Entrepreneurship

As nurses transition to aesthetics, they may discover there is a world of opportunity for learning and entrepreneurship. Aesthetics is a swiftly growing industry, and many nurses eventually decide to open their own practice or become independent providers. The growth and financial options are many.

4. You’re Passionate About Beauty, Wellness, or Anti-Aging

A frequently noted detail for nurses who switch to aesthetics is that they are also passionate about beauty or have always had an eye for detail. Aesthetic medicine is often called the meeting of science and beauty, and helping patients look their best leads to helping them feel their best. If you have a nursing degree but have also been called a beauty guru or are an artist at heart, aesthetics might be perfect for you.

5. You’re Feeling Professionally Stagnant

After years of clinical nursing, even in different but similar specialties, you may begin to feel like you’ve plateaued in your knowledge. Reignite your passion for learning and regain a stronger sense of purpose in the unique atmosphere of aesthetics. Similarly, some feel they’ve hit an earnings plateau. Cosmetic providers have a very high earning potential in plastic surgeon or medspa settings and when working independently.

6. You Enjoy Learning And Mastering New Techniques

Since this field is constantly evolving, there will be no shortage of chances to learn about new procedures and techniques and to hone your skills. Aesthetic nurses also have great opportunities to engage in patient education. They are often responsible for discussing risk management, aftercare, and managing side effects. While there is no required “injector degree” outside of general nursing, certifications, courses, and hands-on training with experienced professionals can challenge you and help you refine your abilities and knowledge.

7. You’re Ready To Design A Career Around Your Goals

Growth, creativity, flexibility, income potential. If these sound like what you want for your professional life, consider medical aesthetics. As a high-demand, high-growth industry, there is no shortage of need for aesthetic nurses, and you could enjoy a skilled nursing position where you have more control over your schedule, the services you provide, and your client base.

Is Medical Aesthetics Right For You?

Are you ready to work in a positive, inherently relaxing environment? Would you like to add a creative component to your nursing path? Do you want to change the lives of your patients by unleashing their confidence? Are you ready to get back your work-life balance? If so, you might be ready to make the switch to medical aesthetics.

For many experienced and dedicated nurses, all this may sound outstanding but they might still feel a sense of hesitation. Is aesthetics really nursing? Does it count? Will I still be using my hard-earned, core nursing skills? Remember, every individual is different and every nurse is different. Nursing does not fall into a single description. Clinical nurse, OR nurse, ER, NICU, PACU, L&D, psychiatric, home health, and aesthetic nurse. No matter who your patients are and what setting you are in, that nursing degree is what makes you qualified to be there. All have different ranges of knowledge, different passions, and different strengths but their patients are counting on them.

Learn With Experts Who Are In The Field

But how do you take the first step? It’s important to seek out credible training programs led by successful and experienced professionals in the field including plastic surgeons or nurse practitioners. Mentorships and certifications can make the difference in learning the necessary skills and landing the ideal aesthetic medical position. Contact the leading Aesthetic Mentor program, led by Harvard-trained plastic surgeon, Dr. Joseph A. Russo and start your journey now.

*https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7862989/