The Nurse’s ShadowShip Program
The Nurse’s ShadowShip Program
Chrissy Thomas, RN BSN
Founder, About Face Skin Care
I began my career in the Operating Room at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta- Egleston. As an eager, young nurse I took on more responsibility and soon became Charge Nurse for Plastics, Pulmonology, and ENT services. The experience was amazing, but the hours were long, and it was difficult to plan a family with my new husband.
I made a move to adult plastic surgery and soon landed with Dianne Leeb, MD, and BA Pihl, MD. This amazing husband and wife duo not only gave me an awesome work/ life balance but allowed me to take on new challenges including the task of growing the skincare part of our practice. After years of demanding hours in the operating room, the 9-5 pace of our office was a refreshing relief. I cared for clients preoperatively, monitored sedation through surgery, and cared for them in recovery. Since I now had extra time in my schedule, I began offering chemical peels and product advice to clients to prep for surgery, recover more quickly and enjoy fresh skin every day.
My beloved doctors decided to retire in 2002 as I was ready to deliver my second baby. As they put it, they would “stay on as my Medical Directors if I wanted to continue with the skin care portion of the practice for six months or so until the babies were older and then I could get a real job.”
We retired from the practice on Wednesday, I delivered on Saturday, and I opened About Face Skin Care three weeks later. The 17-month-old and the newborn were growing quickly. About Face Skin Care was also growing quickly as my husband and I would put the babies to bed every evening and work on About Face into the night.
After years of stretching ourselves thin and wanting to spend more time with our children, my husband left the corporate world to come along full time. It was a scary time, but the best decision for our family we could have ever made.
Now, 20 years later, About Face has grown to a staff of 25 including 3 nurse injectors and a full team of estheticians and administrative support staff in two locations. We are scouting for the third location. We have recently been named TOP 250 with Allergan, the maker of Botox, Juvederm, CoolSculpting, Diamond Glow, Latisse, and Skin Medica products. That means About Face Skin Care is in the top .4% of all practices in the United States.
As I have enjoyed this success, I realize that it is difficult to break into the aesthetics industry. Nurses reach out to me weekly for advice on how to make the transition. As a practice that enjoys the reputation of having experienced injectors, it is hard to hire someone who has never offered injectable treatments even if they have been certified. That is where the idea of The Injector’s Shadow was born.
Chrissy Thomas, RN, has over 20 years of experience in the field of Medical Aesthetics, as well as experience in training new cosmetic injectors and consulting new practices or those who are looking to add aesthetics to their current practice.
The Nurse’s ShadowShip is open to all registered medical professionals who are looking to enter the field of medical esthetics or who wish to expand their practice by incorporating neurotoxin and dermal filler injections.
We welcome you to participate in the below shadowing programs and wish you the best in your new career.
Our Two Programs – Basic and Premier
The Nurse’s ShadowShip is a program designed by Chrissy Thomas, RN to fill the void between basic certification courses for Neurotoxins and Injectable Fillers and finding a job using these skills. Many providers who are looking for a position have never actually done a full consultation and injected a client to correction on their own. One of the best ways to further the injection education you have obtained is to shadow a provider in a working clinic where you can closely observe consultations and watch various cosmetic treatments like Botox and Dermal Filler injections for various aesthetic concerns.
The Nurse’s ShadowShip- Basic Program
- A 1-hour question session at the beginning of the day
- A 7-hour shadowing opportunity with clients
- A 30-minute wrap-up with a question session
- Letter of reference from The Nurse’s Shadow
- Price: $1,500
- Click here to enroll: Appropriate Link.
- Click here to purchase
The Nurse’s ShadowShip Basic Program will:
Give you insight into the profession. Shadowing an experienced injector can give you a glimpse into the day-to-day life of a cosmetic injector in a leading aesthetics practice. You will be able to observe the workplace culture and the inner workings of a medical aesthetics clinic.
Learn tips and techniques to deliver a high standard of care while maintaining patient satisfaction. One of the highlights of being in a shadow program is observing the ways the client and cosmetic injector interact. The experience will give you insight into the following:
- The most common aging concerns
- How to establish rapport and earn a client’s trust and confidence
- How to professionally handle different types of patients
- How to develop a personalized cosmetic treatment plan for each patient
- How to manage patient expectations and educate about the limitations of specific treatments
Give you a chance to ask questions. Come prepared with lots of questions or just ask as we go along. You will have time before and after the day of clients to ask questions about the profession, certification courses, cosmetic treatments that are trending, client selection, and anything else you want to know.
Help build your resume. Many new cosmetic injectors are looking for positions with nothing but theoretical knowledge from their certification courses. Taking the initiative to learn about a cosmetic practice from an immersive experience will show potential employers that you are taking an extra step in your growth to become a provider. The Nurse’s Shadow will provide you with a letter of reference for your resume.
The Nurse’s Shadow- Our Premier Program (Hands-on)
The Premier Program includes everything above but pivoting to a practitioner role and allows an opportunity to consult and inject with oversight from Chrissy Thomas. Included in The Nurse’s Shadow-Ship Program (Premier) are the following:
- A 1-hour question session at the beginning of the day
- A 6-hour shadowing opportunity with clients
- A 2-hour consultation and injecting appointment with a model (includes up to 2 ccs Voluma, 1cc Juvederm Ultra, 40u Botox)
- Letter of reference from The Nurse’s Shadow- Special Shadow-Ship Program
Price: $2,999 - Click here to enroll: Appropriate link.
- Click here to purchase
Chrissy Thomas, RN, has over 20 years of experience in the field of Medical Aesthetics, as well as experience in training new cosmetic injectors and consulting new practices or those who are looking to add aesthetics to their current practice.
For more information, please contact us today. A member of our team will reach out to you immediately.
Become a Model for Our ShadowShip Premier Program
If you are interested in having injectable treatments, becoming a model for the Premier Program ShadowShip is a cost-conscious way to reduce the signs of aging at a fraction of the cost, without giving up the concern for quality and safety. As a model, you will have an appointment with a licensed provider who has completed training with Botox and Injectable Filler to have a consultation and then treatment on your areas of concern. The licensed provider who is participating in the course will be overseen by Chrissy Thomas, RN, a Cosmetic Nurse injector with over 20 years of experience in the industry.
The Nurse’s Shadow training models are an important part of our program. We are here to address your concerns and questions before, during, and after your treatment. When you choose to model with The Nurse’s Shadow you will receive discounted prices on the best quality products while receiving procedures under the direct supervision of Chrissy Thomas, RN.
As a model you may have the following areas treated:
- Lip Filler
- Cheek Restoration with Filler
- Jawline Contouring with Filler
- Chin Augmentation with Filler
- Botox to Forehead, Frown Lines, Crows Feet, Bunny Lines, Chin, Lip Flip, Platysma Bands
The price of the procedures is based as follows :
- $6.50 per unit of Botox® Cosmetic
- $300 per syringe of Juvederm Ultra® & Ultra Plus
- $350 per syringe of Volbella®
- $475 per syringe of Voluma®
Click here to apply to become a ShadowShip Model: TBD
Our office will reach out to you to collect a $200 non-refundable deposit. Any remaining fees from above will be collected at the time of service.
