A Midland university is to become the first in the UK to offer a qualification for nurses in the cosmetics industry.
Coventry University has created a foundation module in aesthetics practice, accredited by the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses, in response to calls for improved training for those practising cosmetic interventions and for better regulation in the sector.
An NHS review, led by medical director Sir Bruce Keogh in the wake of the PIP breast implant scandal, identified a “clear need for accredited training standards to be set for cosmetic procedures” and recommended “the creation of associated registers” so that the public can identify qualified practitioners.
There are currently no restrictions in the UK to govern who performs non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as dermal filler treatment, laser hair removal and Botox injections, and no qualifications are required to carry out any of them.
Alison Bardsley, course director for non-medical prescribing at Coventry University, said: “The lack of regulation and proper training standards for people carrying out cosmetic interventions are areas of increasing concern for the public, so the advent of this course marks a significant step towards an improved framework for the industry and the introduction of a long overdue element of control by health standards specialists.”
The new module starts in October and is offered as part of the continuing professional development programme, based on standards drawn up between BACN and the Royal College of Nursing.
It can be studied as a stand-alone qualification or as part of a full degree course, and is set to equip graduates with the theoretical knowledge required to practise cosmetic interventions safely within the industry.
