It took time to dig and probe and ask the right questions, but we now have good news for nurses who take our medical aesthetics training courses.
In registering for training by professional instructors, nurses do not need to have a medical director assess and approve injections procedures and patients. The instructors at THMA Consulting are qualified experts in the field and therefore they have the authority to directly supervise and guide hands-on injection training.
The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) confirmed this in an email sent on June 26, 2018.
“Nurses are self-reflective and self-regulating professionals,” wrote Carlyn Tancioco, CNO Advanced Practice Consultant. “It is up to the individual nurse to determine their learning needs and what would best help them in achieving their learning needs.”
Further to that, nurses must do their own research into the qualifications of the medical aesthetics instructors and be confident that the training program meets all expectations.
The Canadian Nurses Protective Society (CNPS) states that “nurses who engage in the practice of (medical aesthetics) must take reasonable steps to satisfy themselves that the instruction that they are receiving is from a reputable source and will be consistent with the applicable standard of care.”
Tancioco referred us to the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) and the section regarding Controlled Acts, defined as activities are considered to be potentially harmful if performed by unqualified persons. The RHPA provides exceptions to allow persons under profession supervision to perform certain controlled acts (such as the injection of a substance such as Botox or Juvéderm).
The RHPA section reads: “When, under the supervision or direction of a member of the profession, a student is learning to become a member of that profession and the performance of that procedure is within the scope of the profession’s practice.”
THMA Consulting follows the guidelines set forth by the Canadian Society of Aesthetic Specialty Nurses (CSASN), which is recognized as a Network Specialty Group through the CNA. As experts in the medical aesthetic industry, our mentors have the authority to teach injection techniques to nurses under strict supervision and guidance.
Note that this only pertains to that day of training in one of our Practitioner Courses. Once the courses or preceptorship program is completed, the nurse must establish a working relationship with a physician or nurse practitioner who would have to delegate medical authority to the practitioner prior to performing clinical treatments.
All registered nurses and nurse practitioners practising in Ontario must also have professional liability protection. This is critically important for nurse seeking a career in independent practice such as medical aesthetics. Nurses must purchase personal/professional liability protection from the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) or associations like the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) prior to taking our training program.
For registration or more information related to our Medical Aesthetics Preceptorship and Training Program, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
For more information CNO regulations regarding the scope of practice and delegation of a controlled act for nurses, please refer to these documents: