NURSE NANCY, REPORTING FOR DUTY!

I am a Registered Nurse (RN 1988) and Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner (MN, NP 1991) with 20 years in the Medical Aesthetics field. I have also been a paper route girl, a babysitter, a restaurant hostess, a Carl’s Jr. french fry-maker, a medical transcriptionist and an EKG technician. As a Registered Nurse, I worked on the Medical/Surgical floor, the Cardiac Arrhythmia Monitoring Unit and the Cardiac Cath Lab. As a young Nurse Practitioner, I worked for a large medical group in the Internal Medicine Department doing primary and urgent care but mostly focused on women’s health. Nursing is a holistic profession and treating the whole person involves not only addressing acute or chronic problems but also issues of appearance and emotional health. I remember writing my first prescriptions of Renova, a topical Rx retinoid (Tretinoin) to fight the good fight against aging skin and it was  then I started telling patients this topical treatment cream could “teach your skin to act young again!” It was during this time in my life, I followed my passion for aesthetics by taking night classes to become a professional makeup artist. I worked as an NP by day and for fun on nights and weekends, I did makeup for weddings, print work and commercials. 

Then in 1999, I learned about the exciting new field of cosmetic dermatology (later renamed aesthetic medicine). It could combine my two passions: beauty and medicine!  A total dream come true!! I remember the day I resigned my Internal Medicine position, the director of my office was not happy. He made a plea for me to not “sell out” - that what I wanted to do was not “real medicine!” I thanked him, shook his hand and never looked back. I knew I would love this emerging field/science and would not be deterred. This was back before Botox® was a household name and any formal training or comprehensive education programs existed. Techniques were being honed in the offices of researchers, academics and cutting edge clinicians and everyone was sharing their knowledge to help each other and advance the field as it was known at the time. I craved more and more information which led me to education seminars and conferences around the country where I basically created my own curriculum and advanced my own education. I had such a passion for the science and hunger for knowledge which continues to this very day. 

My love of “beauty” or “happy”  medicine, as I often call it, led me to work for a duo of dynamic Dermatologists, a well known Plastic surgeon and finally in 2007 I took the plunge and formed NP Aesthetics, Inc. where I could have my own office and be my own boss. I wanted to practice the art and science of Botox®, Fillers, Lasers, Chemical peels and other skincare  consultations and procedures in my own way and own my own terms. I have grown a very successful practice based on word of mouth from referrals from happy patients, as a result of consistent, great outcomes and my ability to augment beauty with a natural look. I also use the skills cultivated in my professional makeup classes to help me understand highlights and shadows/contours of the face which makes me a better injector. I have been blessed with a large patient following, a staff that has been with me since the beginning and the respect of my peers.  

In 2009, I was asked by Allergan® (the leader in Aesthetic Medicine and maker of Botox Cosmetic) to be one of their very first Nurse Trainers. They wanted me to teach my fellow Nurses and Physicians how to improve their Botox® and filler and share my knowledge and experience with my colleagues. I continue to train and teach for the Allergan® Medical Institute which has expanded on this original program to now include 200 Nurse Trainers nationwide.  I am so proud of my over 20 year career as an Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner. I have been an AMI trainer for 10 years, served on industry advisory boards as a thought leader and am recognized by my peers as an expert in the field. But even with all this success, I still felt like something was missing - that there was something I still wanted to do.

I had looked into developing my own skincare products three times dating back to 2004. Each time I looked into it I was discouraged by the sheer magnitude of this endeavor.  I would do the research, talk to the right people and then...nothing. Maybe it was lack of time or the need to focus on family but what I didn’t know back then and what I know now is that timing is everything!  I needed to gain 20 years of experience caring for thousands of patients (mostly women, but certainly lots of men too) by assessing and treating common skin problems, skin aging and beauty issues. I needed to perform tens of thousands of procedures to secure my status as a skincare expert. The expertise that only time could provide so I could successfully design skincare products so advanced, innovative and superior to what was already on the market that are worthy of my savvy patients and of course, me! The timing wasn’t right until the day I had a conversation with my dearest friend Courtney, a woman with such grace and style, whom I love and admire, that the bells rang and the angels sang!  Courtney happens to be a major beauty industry expert and bad ass business woman herself and that day we talked about caring for our skin and our shared frustration over never finding the perfect skincare line. Both she and I had access to the beauty world’s banquet of skincare and neither one of us had found perfection. Courtney has truly sensitive skin and desires potent, active formulas and I demand medical grade quality and clinical effectiveness but couldn’t find everything I needed in one line and if I did it was with layer upon layer of multiple products. Yuck! Both of us felt even if strong and effective clinical products were available, they weren’t a nice user experience or looked or smelled ugly and we decided right then and there to explore creating this perfect line that would thrill both of us!  

And here we are...approximately 33 months, 17 days and 10 hours into our great adventure. I am pleased to announce, we have created a product line we are both passionate about and so deeply proud of. We call it THE ROUTE™ and it will take you (and us!) on a lifelong journey to HAPPY, HEALTHY, BEAUTIFUL SKIN!  

I look forward to sharing my beauty, medical aesthetics and skincare knowledge, my tips and tricks of the trade and my passion for this business in my NURSE NANCY™ BLOG. Thank you for reading my words today. I should sign off my shift for now but I will return for duty very soon.

with love and happiness,
Nurse Nancy