Nearly 10 years ago, following the launch of the Keogh Report (2013), I was encouraged by my peers to embark on a Non-Medical Prescribing Course (V300). ‘Why?’, I asked, and found every excuse under the sun not to commit to the V300. I worked directly with doctors and dentists who saw our patients face-to-face and prescribing was their role, not mine. So why would I need to put myself through this extra learning and cost, and, more importantly, would it improve any of my patient care pathways and, essentially, improve patient safety?
On reflection, after my primary Registered General Nurse (RGN) qualification, I have found that the successful completion of the V300 is one of the single most important qualifications that I have undertaken. It is pivotal to keeping my patients safe and providing continuity of patient care, and I have since underpinned it with so much more knowledge around pharmacology, product characteristics, law, consent and ethics—all of which are included in the course. I urge anyone who has not, to apply and complete the V300. Indeed, if you are running a nurse-led practice then it is, in my opinion, a mandatory requirement.
A decade later and here I am again, considering another university qualification to enhance my own clinical skills. Encouraged by the new licensing scheme consultation (Department of Health and Social Care, 2022), which (it is rumoured) may recommend a Level 7 qualification as a minimum to practice within medical aesthetics, I researched undertaking a postgraduate diploma (PGDip). I weighed up my options and decided that I am definitely too old for all this, and then went ahead with it anyway.
I learned a vast amount from my university-approved and Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP)-recognised PGDip, and my clinical practice has changed. After over 20 years within the aesthetics sector, I have witnessed it evolve and develop (and not always in a positive way), but I am wholly in support of the professionalisation of this sector and accessing medical aesthetics at a Level 7 should be the gateway for entry. When discussing Level 7, there are nine awards at Level 7 according to the Department of Education (2022), and bringing those nine qualifications into one single standard will be no mean feat. Also, the Level 7 must be appropriate and relevant to aesthetic medicine.
So, I chose a Level 7 PGDip in cosmetic medicine at the University of South Wales. The course is multidisciplinary and open to RGNs, dentists and doctors. It is divided into six modules throughout one academic year. Each of the six modules lasts 6 weeks, and each week there is a different topic that is studied in depth. We kicked off module one with anatomy (of course), then followed on with modules covering toxins, soft tissue expanders, skin treatments, disorders of the hair and finished with other aesthetic approaches.
There are essays to submit each week, exams at the end of each module, group assignments and weekly self-reflective journals. To be honest, I very nearly gave up by module two, as I did not enjoy the online platform or the style of the course. It is fast and furious; you need time out to read up on each subject and running a clinic and everyday life is tough enough at my age. I cannot tell you how many times I cried and slammed the laptop down, saying ‘I am just too old for this’.
However, I am immensely proud that I have successfully completed the PGDip in Cosmetic Medicine 2021/22 and passed with Distinction. I would advocate that, if a Level 7 is in your sights, then apply and go for it, because you are never too old and if I can, then you can.