Stephanie MacDonald has an entrepreneurial spirit in her blood along with a love of nursing and medical aesthetics. Those passions first launched her career for her, and now Stephanie is our first clinical trainer in PEI. Many exciting developments in Atlantic Canada!
New team members, another training facility, expanded teaching in medical aesthetics: all of this is unfolding for THMA Consulting in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
Let’s start first with Stephanie MacDonald in Charlottetown, our inaugural clinical trainer in Canada’s Cradle of Confederation.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Stephanie graduated with a nursing degree in 2009.
She has worked in emergency nursing, remote Northern nursing, and for the past 4 years, as a Nurse Practitioner in primary care and medical aesthetics.
The science behind the beauty first attracted Stephanie to medical aesthetics. But the attraction of doing it for herself was what really pushed her towards a new career.
“That independence for me was everything,” Stephanie says.
“I come from a family of entrepreneurs in PEI. It’s in my blood. I love that I can combine that healthcare and aesthetics side with the business side of this.”
Read: Medical Aesthetics Industry is poised to grow significantly this decade
She found THMA Consulting through a Google search. Impressed with the fact we are a nurse-led training company, Stephanie took our Foundation Courses in 2019. Soon after training she started her own practice in Charlottetown – Beauty Mark Medaesthetics Inc.
She was busy enough at first. But then demand for her services soared.
“No nurses were doing it, so there was a major gap in services,” she says, crediting the College for supporting her ambition for independent practice. She now runs her practice four evenings a week at Youthful You Medaesthetics and on Saturdays at Grand Senses Spa.
Not one to sit on her laurels, Stephanie has expanded her professional portfolio through training workshops with THMA Consulting in Sclerotherapy, Deoxycholic Acid and PRP Treatments.
All this has put her in a good position to share her experience and expertise with others as a trainer with THMA Consulting. She will do Foundation Course 4: Hands-on Training for those who complete the virtual Foundation Courses 1-3.
“I’m looking forward to sharing everything I’ve learned and everything I’ve experienced. This is a great course that is research-based and highlights patient safety and ethical practices. I’m excited about this opportunity to be doing Hands-on Training and One-on-One Mentoring for THMA Consulting.”
We are certainly thrilled about Stephanie bringing PEI to our expanding training tent in Atlantic Canada. Here what else is going on:
NOVA SCOTIA
Yvonne Salter NP of Antigonish has joined our training team. Primarily, she will be our Medical Director in Nova Scotia, authorizing the medical procedures that THMA Consulting will be teaching at our regional training facility at Vitality Medi Spa in Halifax.
With Yvonne’s assistance, Aundrea Ritchie RN and I will do Foundation Course 4: Hands-on Training and One-on-One Mentoring at Vitality and throughout the province. Yvonne will also be doing mentoring in Antigonish.
Read: Tracey Returning to her Roots To Focus Fully on Training
We’re happy to have Yvonne on the team and, as she says, “dedicated to raising the bar in medical aesthetics.”
“I am honoured to be part of the THMA community that focuses on high values and standards, professionalism and continuing education.”
NEW BRUNSWICK
I will also be doing training in Foundation Course 4 and Supplementary Course Workshops at our new regional facility in Moncton at Kent Laser Clinic with Brandy Donald NP and Kelley Whelan RN. Weekend training and mentoring begin there in February.
Moncton’s central location will make it convenient for physicians and nurses in southern NB and northern NS to get quality training in medical aesthetics close to home.
Brandy is our medical director and will also do training in Moncton. She and Kelley will continue to provide Foundation Course 4 training and workshops in Lip Enhancement, PRP and Deoxycholic Acid Treatments at Luxe Medical Aesthetics in Miramichi.
NEWFOUNDLAND
Jackie Connors RN continues as our clinical trainer in St. John’s.
She is expecting a busy 2023 as more times have opened up for her at Landells Clinic to do Course 4 training and One-on-One Mentoring.
Jackie is one of the most experienced nurse injectors in Newfoundland. We are proud to have her on the THMA Consulting team.
Read: Jackie Connors is a pioneer in medical aesthetics
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In Atlantic Canada and across the country, ongoing support and ongoing education are commitments we make to all THMA Consulting training participants. We do not shut the door on our members when the initial training is completed.
Yes, we offer Supplementary Courses, in-person workshops, virtual presentations and individual mentoring. But, as Stephanie MacDonald says, it’s more than that.
“THMA Consulting members are a close knit group of professionals. It’s open and accessible. You can go to Tracey or any of the other trainers to ask questions. And you can always share experiences with colleagues. The learning and support is continuous!”
With that in mind, THMA Consulting will host a Professional Development Symposiums in Halifax in the fall. The date and venue will be confirmed and shared next month.
The Symposiums feature guest speakers discussing industry topics and timely trends. Industry reps will showcase their wares. And most importantly, the symposiums are opportunities for colleagues to network and share experiences and advice.
Register here for the Professional Development Symposium April 23 in Thornhill ON
I’ve been told that this cohesion within the THMA Consulting family is a reflection of both the collaborative nature of nursing and my Maritimes upbringing. We like that sense of community!
It certainly does my east coast heart proud to bring bright and effervescent professionals like Stephanie MacDonald into the fold and to train fellow Atlantic Canadians for the joys and independence of a career in medical aesthetics.