i have my esthetician license and i was thinking about getting either my RN or NP license...?
Asked by SKYE120
what would be the benefits of having these two licenses? if i get my RN could i perform botox and collegan injections? if i get my NP could i have my own office that performs medical esthetics?

Best Answer:
To be a Nurse Practitioner, you would need to finish a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, obtain a license as an RN, preferably work for 18 to 24 months or longer as an RN, and then return for a Master of Science in Nursing or A Doctor of Nurse Practice degree. While having the esthetician license would add certain functions to the practice of a Nurse Practitioner, it would seem to be a significant waste of 6 to 8 years of education just so you could have your own office to practice as an esthetician. NPs are very needed, and if you have some desire to diagnose and treat patients, then you should consider that route, otherwise, it seems like you would spend a lot of money on tuition, and waste a space in a school to not use the education. As far as becoming an RN, you can do this at a community college, usually in about 3 years. This might be a reasonable consideration, but you would still have to work in a dermatologist or plastic surgery office to perform the Botox and collagen injections. RNs cannot perform these injections without written or verbal orders from a licensed health care provider with prescriptive privledges. I'm not sure about your area, but in most areas, most RNs who work in medical offices make lower salaries than those who work for health care facilities. From a salary standpoint, if that is where you are placing your concerns, the average esthetician in the US makes $35,000 per year, the average RN makes $65,000, and the average FNP makes over $87,000 per year. Again, if I can make $87,000 per year diagnosiing and treating medical conditions (though I actually average much more) I might consider adding the esthetics as a sideline, but I would never consider adding the NP to make my esthetics business better. Please note, if you make more in your area as an esthetician, you must consider, these are US averages, so the RNs and NPs in your area are also making more on average.
RN, Ph.D., FNP
Answered by US_DR_JD