When Will I Finally Feel Comfortable As An Injector?

By Sydney Gatta, RN

I recently had the pleasure of treating a patient who happens to be an injector herself. While she was in the chair, we chatted endlessly about all things aesthetics. She confided in me about her uncertainty with various treatments, the unknowns of the industry, and her frustration of not yet quite feeling competent in practice. During our conversation she asked me, “how long did it take you to finally feel comfortable as an injector?” This got me thinking… Was I comfortable? Competent? Confident? In short yes, but with some caveats. When I entered this field less than one year ago, I didn’t know the first thing about aesthetics. I was excited and eager to learn anything and everything I possibly could. I was and still am a sponge, looking to soak up any experiences I can. I reassured my patient (and essentially myself as well), that while I have learned an immense amount in a short time, there is ALWAYS more to learn. I told her to trust her gut, continue to gain education and experiences, and to lean on her peers. I asked my patient about her previous nursing experience and we chatted about mine. I shared that even after many years in labor and delivery, after bringing countless babies into the world, and experiencing every situation imaginable, I still felt that there was so much more to learn. How could I simultaneously feel like I could do my job with my eyes closed, while also feeling like I needed to constantly lean on my peers for their input and insights? That’s when it hit me. That is the beauty of medicine. More specifically, aesthetic medicine. Like so many other fields of medicine, aesthetics is ever-changing, fluid, and constantly transforming. That’s what is so invigorating and inspiring to me. I can feel comfortable as an injector and confident in the care I provide to my patients, while continuing to look to science and my peers for new insights. Moral of the story – get comfortable, competent, even confident, but never ever complacent!

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