Is it ok to have an RN do dermal injections?

This is a common question we get asked. In our clinic, both the physicians and nurses do the injections. I worked in a previous clinics and everyone is different. However, in some clinics the nurses spend the majority of their day doing fillers and become very good at it. Personally, I have had family members and friends treated by nurses and it is nothing something that worries me at all. However, my advice is to make sure they are experienced, there is a physician on site and the clinic is reputable. James P. Bonaparte

Thanks for this question.There are many Plastic Surgeons who do injections in their offices. In my office I do most of the injections but I also have a nurse who does some of the injections. All of the patients that the nurse injects are seen by me first and no injections are done without my supervision. I am also available to see the patients if any issues arise. I think that those are the key elements to insist upon if a nurse is going to do any injecting

Injectables can be very safe when done properly.  A nurse in a clinic with lots of experience and consistently good results can be an excellent choice.  I would still advise to choose the location wisely.  There are many clinics where a ghost-doctor signs off on the procedure but never is available to see patients or deal with complications.  Make sure that the location has a plastic surgeon or dermatologist that oversees the procedures.  Do not go cheap as this is your face. Lots of "discount" places seem cheap on a per unit bases only to recoup their costs by over injecting too much product.Dr Rodger ShorttPlastic SurgeonMD, FRCS(C)Ass't Clinical ProfessorDirector of Cosmetic Surgery Training,McMaster University

Thank you for your question.Not quite sure what the laws are in Canada but this depends on where the RN works in the U.S. Some States allow nurses to inject and others don't.If you are paying the $ amount, perhaps it is best to ask the physician to do something like this.In our offices, trained Physician Assistants and the Physician do injectable fillers.There is a difference between NP and RN's in the U.S.

Who "can" perform filler injections is a legal question that, in the United States, is governed by the Board of Medicine from State to State. In Florida, it is my understanding that a filler is considered to be an implant and only a FL licensed MD, DO, PA, or ARNP can perform this. That being said, are there RNs performing such in Florida--absolutely. Is it legal--absolutely not. There have been "TOP" plastic surgeons and Dermatologists in our area utilizing RNs to perform injections that they are not permitted to do, to the best of my knowledge. I am not an attorney and this is the information that has been relayed to me from our local board of Medicine. I do recommend that you ask your local regulatory agency.Regarding who "should" perform the filler injections is a totally different question. Of course, at the bare minimum, they should be legally qualified to do so. That is the bare minimum. Whomever performs the injections should be adequately trained and also be able to handle any potential complications that arise. In most cases, a Dermatologist, Plastic Surgeon, Facial Plastic Surgeon, Ophthalmologist, and ENT are usually capable of such. Some fillers have a higher risk of problems than others. Hyaluronic acid fillers is the safest and can be reversed in the event of a bad result--which may cost more than the treatment. Longer lasting fillers and permanent fillers should ONLY be performed by qualified and highly experienced licensed providers as if the results are not optimal, you will be stuck with such a result.In short, the longer lasting the procedure and the more risk for complications, the more the reason to have someone who is extremely experienced and extremely qualified to handle any potential problems that could arise.