This award will recognise the aesthetic nurse who is deemed to have contributed most to the profession and/or has provided the most outstanding care and treatment to their patients in the last 12 months. The winner will be judged on their clinical expertise, continuous professional development, commitment to patient safety and the difference they make to their patients, clinic and the profession as a whole. There will be no voting process and the winner will be decided by the judging panel.
I have enjoyed a varied, innovative and stimulating career in aesthetic medicine, since entering the speciality in 2008. Initially, I worked independently from my own clinic premises, prior to accepting a full-time nurse injector role with Destination Skin, in 2010, where I managed cosmetic injectable diaries for 7 clinics nationally, and gained my independent nurse prescriber qualification. In 2011, I resigned from this position and jointly set up a nurse-led cosmetic clinic, The Medicos RX Skin Clinic with a Consultant Plastic Surgeon, at The Nuffield Health Hospital in Cheltenham where I applied for and was awarded independent practice privileges. Alongside this I began coordinating the accredited ‘Dalvi Humzah Aesthetic Training Courses’ in 2012, and assist the lead tutor in the teaching, planning, development, and dissection during these sessions and assisted in the development of the first Level 7 Advanced Professional Award in Applied Clinical Facial Anatomy for Cosmetic Interventions. I have completed a PGCert in Applied Clinical Anatomy to specialize in head & neck anatomy and been trained to dissect and demonstrate the salient anatomy of the forehead, upper periorbital and temple region, in relation to injectable treatments. At present, I practice non-surgical cosmetic dermatology and injectables from a nurse-led clinic in East Grinstead. I have 2 journal editorial positions and regularly contribute and co-author anatomical pieces for 4 Aesthetic journals, and frequently present at national aesthetic and anatomical conferences. In the last 12 months, I have presented at CCR, BACN regional meetings & annual conference, FACE, ACE, Merz MAPPEx meetings, PIAPA Conference, ACE, and FACE. My ethos is to perform procedures, which are solely within my professional competence and uphold that patients should receive safe treatment in an appropriate clinical setting with approved products. I provide training in cosmetic dermatology, cosmeceutical products and chemical peels for an aesthetic distributor as well as injectable training and have jointly set up and manage 2 nurse-led dermatology clinics, specialising in Photodynamic therapy, in conjunction with Ashfield Clinical and Galderma UK. In addition, I have completed the first year of an MA in Clinical Education at King’s College London, which has a triple accreditation to the NMC, (including the Practice Educator & Lecturer Compendium), the Higher Education Academy and Association of Medical Educators. I am also proud to be a Board Member for the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses (BACN).
I started in my career in Medical Aesthetics in 2007. Having worked as a nurse and then in medical sales, and in aesthetic sales, I had a great base knowledge of both the medical and the business world.
I started out as a mobile practitioner, offering limited aesthetic services within other clinics and beauty salons. After 18 months in the industry, I was now covering 60 such locations, and I qualified as an independent prescriber from Stirling University in 2008. I began teaching basic and advanced Botulinum Toxin and Dermal Filler courses to doctors, dentists and nurses and established my own successful training school. Based on this success, I was then approached by the larger pharmaceutical companies and began to train on their behalf. I trained for Allergan, Aestheticare and Galderma.
I opened my first aesthetic clinic in Edinburgh in 2009 and was delighted to be recognised by peers, patients, awarding bodies and the press for our continued success and expertise. Last year has been no exception: now with a Distinction awarded for my postgraduate Certificate in Aesthetic Medicine from Northumbria University under my belt, I continue to uphold Tatler’s title of ‘Best for Credentials’. I’m continuing to work towards my Masters Degree and I’m now well into year two and hope to have achieved her Post-Graduate Diploma in Non-Surgical Aesthetic Practice in the New Year.
In 2017 I completed the approved University mentoring qualification and am now a mentor for fellow practitioners undertaking the Masters qualification on the same program.
I am also now a member of Galderma’s Country Mentor Trainer (CMT) faculty. This was achieved by successfully completing a three-day event involving presentation skills (based on the Harvard Business School), anatomy and injection demonstrations and all under the pressure of far too many cameras for the purpose of analysis and feedback! As the only Nurse on this programme to have achieved Country status leading to international placements, I have presented and provided live injection demonstrations in London, Leeds, Glasgow, Belfast and Manchester with further International requests for my presence on stage planned for later in the year. It was a true honour to be asked to chair the First Global Galderma Nurse meeting in Paris in January this year.
Another proud achievement this year came from being on the programme board (representing BACN) of Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) undertaking efforts to improve standards of clinical practice and clinical settings across Scotland. My clinic, dermalclinic® was the first clinic in Scotland to achieve accreditation following inspection by HIS.
I have also recently devised a new anti-ageing treatment which has now been trademarked and clinical studies are underway.
Both me and my clinic ‘dermalclinic®’ have gone from strength to strength, achieving continued success in both regional and national awards ceremonies.
ABOUT LOU SOMMEREUX RNMH NIP BACN
Lou is a highly experienced Clinic Director and Aesthetic Nurse Prescriber with a background in mental health and general nursing. Following initial individual training by a Reconstructive Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Lou Sommereux started her aesthetic clinic in 2002. She is well respected for her experience, safe practice and expertise which resulted in being awarded the prestigious Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner UK 2014 and has since been nominated for The Safety in Beauty Award for Aesthetic Nurse practitioner 2017. She is currently studying for her Masters in Aesthetic Medicine at Northumberland University and was an initial founder of the BACN is consequently an honorary member of the BACN which promotes patient safety and education in Aesthetics.
She is the BACN regional Lead for East Anglia, as well as assisting with the Super Group meetings covering London and East Anglia. She motivates, leads and inspires other aesthetic nurses to share their expertise, educate and is generous in offering peer support by sharing best practice and knowledge.
She co-lead the NMC Revalidation pilot study and implementation in the UK . She further established a positive relationship with the NMC and the BACN through this study. She set up a closed Facebook Forum for the 100 pilotee’s as a communication tool throughout the revalidation. This system has now been implemented throughout the four countries.
Lou is part of the Galderma International Nurse Faculty and represents the UK in the first Global faculty for Aesthetic Nurses recently she completed her Country Mentor Training on a 3-day intensive course.
She currently sits on several advisory boards for journals and conferences and continues to be a peer reviewer for Journal of Aesthetic Nursing as well as judges for numerous industry awards.
In 2016 Lou was recommended by Tatler Cosmetic Guide as one of the top ten Aesthetic Nurses for reassuring new patients ,she believes in offering her patients’ a holistic approach to skin rejuvenation and offers a full and comprehensive consultation to ensure she meets the needs of every patient.
Nurse Practitioner Michelle McLean NIP BSC began her nurse training in 1999, thereafter working extensively in A&E and district nursing. Appreciating the potential of the growing aesthetic industry I began working on a part time basis in aesthetics in 2010. This quickly escalated and resulted in me working from 15 different salons within a few months before then taking the decision to open a clinic in Glasgow city centre. Given the rapid growth in both the aesthetics industry and her business I decided it was the right time to leave the NHS and purse a full time career in Aesthetics.
To start with, I concentrated on offering the basic injectables but the growth of my business and my increasing experience allowed me to continually invest in my personal development and training. This allowed me to offer more advanced injectables and continue to grow the business to offer an ever increasing variety of treatments.
The growth of the business over the years has allowed me to invest in a three storey luxury townhouse which hosts both The original Age Refined clinic and my new venture downstairs, offering practicing privileges to other practitioners who may have been lost to the industry due to the introduction of HIS regulation. It is also spacious enough to allow for the growth of my new training academy that offers training space to the major drug companies and facilities for me to mentor more inexperienced and new practitioners. Both clinics are fully HIS registered and Age Refined has a client base of around 3,000 patients and I have performed over 10,000 procedures with the current waiting list being around 4 weeks.
The growth of the clinic and my reputation are clear to see. As a result, the clinic is the top account for Allergan in Scotland and easily amongst the top 50 in the UK. This allows me to facilitate training for Allergan and other leading drug companies. I then use this as an opportunity to further grow the BACN through networking with other practitioners.
Within the last year, I have featured on STV on numerous occasions helping to promote the aesthetics industry, serving to correct some of the wrong public perceptions of aesthetics and to highlight the new quality standards as part of HIS regulations.
I began my nursing career working on a liver transplant unit and then went on to specialise in general ITU at The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne. I began my journey into aesthetics in 2006 and have never looked back. I became an Independent Nurse Prescriber in 2015 and am presently undertaking my Masters in Aesthetic Medicine, for which I am also a course mentor. I have recently graduated with a Postgraduate Certificate with Commendation in Professional Non-Surgical Aesthetic Practice and am one of only fourteen medical professionals in the UK to hold this qualification
In the early days, I worked both in the NHS and as a lone practitioner so that I could build my business. I own and run an aesthetic clinic, but I found it was very isolating, and after attending conferences and training days and through networking, I became part of a small group of lone practitioners and like minded colleagues. This was invaluable to me as it provided support, encouragement and gave me a confidence boost. I later became co-lead, and am currently, Regional Lead for the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses for the North East of England. I now work solely in my own clinic.
As an aesthetic nurse, I am required to maintain continuous development of knowledge and skills in order to provide and deliver the best care and treatment possible of my patients, thus maintaining the Standards as set out by the NMC. Aesthetic medicine is constantly evolving and there is a greater need, now more than ever, for knowledge based practice. I have undertaken a variety of training days in order to keep my skills up to date. I also took part in the pilot study for the NMC Revalidation which empowered me to reflect more within clinical practice.
I have been practicing in aesthetics for over ten years and over this time requirements have changed in relation to education and practice. As a result of adhering to these recommendations, I completed the V300 course, and following the Health Education England (HEE) 2014 recommendations, I have studied the appropriate Level 7 course and passed the first year.
I have experienced positive learning through the training courses I have attended and I feel that by having such a positive experience, it has helped me in my learning. In addition to this, I have also been able to learn through informal nursing support from attending BACN workshops and the annual meetings, and also in my role as a mentor.
I qualified as a registered general nurse from Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia in 1993. I spent five years working in Australia before moving to London in 1998.
I commenced my career in Aesthetic Medicine in 2012, after a 19-year career working as a theatre nurse, with the last 6 years working as a cardiac surgical assistant. With a great deal of surgical anatomical knowledge and a keen interest in skin rejuvenation, I trained under leading facial aesthetic experts in a variety of medical aesthetic treatments, namely Botulinum Toxin Type A, dermal fillers, mesotherapy, micro-needling, chemical peels and cosmeceuticals.
Autonomous practice requires continuous professional development to promote patient safety, manage complications and meet client expectations through anatomical knowledge, providing treatment options and improving practice with new techniques. With this in mind, I commenced my MSc in Aesthetic Medicine in October 2016 through Queen Mary University London to evaluate my practice, consolidate my knowledge, and with a scientific background practice evidenced based Aesthetic Medicine. I am passionate about aesthetic research and believe it is absolutely vital in an industry that is rapidly evolving. I seek the very best products, techniques and evidence based practice to achieve the very best patient outcomes.
Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than achieving results on a patient that surpass their expectations. I take great pride in building relationships with my patients and have a very high level of repeat patients.
My biggest achievement in the last 12 months is completing the first year of the MSc in Aesthetic Medicine. Working full time and studying has been a challenge, although my practice has improved with the newly gained skills and knowledge and the increase in exposure to different clinical scenarios, which has enabled me to refine my consultation skills in order to meet the needs of my patients.
I first started my aesthetics journey in 2008 when I firstly completed Foundation Botulinum Toxin, Dermal Fillers and Chemical Peels training. At this time I was a tissue viability specialist nurse working full time. I began my aesthetics career working evenings and weekends and I even worked for a large surgical company to help build my experience. I was the only practitioner in my area offering these treatments at this time.
I continued to build by business over 4 years before leaving the NHS to 100% work in aesthetics full time. I have a passion for aesthetics and learning and strive to be the best aesthetics practitioner I can, at the same time I try my best to lead by good example.
Early on in my aesthetics journey I quickly realised to be the best I can and be and a safe practitioner a one-day introduction course into aesthetics is just not enough. I then quickly started to invest in my learning to ensure I could offer the safest and best possible treatments available.
Over the past 12 months I have so many achievements that I’m proud of the first purchasing and opening my own clinic. I have grown from a single treatment room clinic to a 3 storey beautiful clinic with 5 treatment rooms, 4 staff and have incorporated a modern training Centre within the clinic. I absolutely smile every day I walk through the door.
I have incorporated my training centre within my clinic as my training company has been a great achievement growing from strength to strength, we came highly commended for best training provider at MyFaceMyBodyAwards last year as well as winning best clinic website 2 years running. We have many well-respected trainers in the industry running training days with us and this is a great honour. Many delegates who attend our courses have come recommended from previous delegate who say how professional our training courses are.
Another great achievement and privileged was to be asked to be one of 25 mentors in the UK for Northumbria University Aesthetics Masters Programme this was alongside some of the best aesthetic practitioners in the UK that I really respect so it was a great compliment that I was asked also.
Since becoming a mentor I have also just completed a PGCert in medical aesthetics and is currently working towards masters level in aesthetic medicine.
Karen Urquhart – RN, DipHEN, NIP, BACN
I qualified in 1995 and, after spending 6 years within the hospital environment, I moved on to general practice in 2001 where I became a highly experienced practice nurse specialising in chronic disease and gained my qualification as an Independent Prescriber in 2010.
I have always had a great interest in how appearance affects a patient’s self esteem and have spent many hours dealing with patients concerns and devising appropriate treatment plans with the goal of improving patient’s appearances and subsequently improving their state of mind and wellbeing. I ventured into aesthetic nursing in April 2010 and since then have devoted the majority of my time within the clinic to patient’s skin health with a special interest in problem skin and regularly achieve spectacular results for my patients.
My commitment to personal development is shown through attendance at regular training sessions and updates within the industry to keep ahead of industry advances and I am an active member within the BACN.
The BACN is at the forefront of developing and commenting on key policy issues with regard to education, CPD and training within the area of aesthetic treatments and in the last 12 months, having had more exposure to challenges within the area of regulation, I have personally become heavily involved in researching and investigating some of these key issues for the benefit of my colleagues in the industry.
I recognise that in order for the industry to become better regulated, it is essential that members of the BACN and other industry bodies need to: contribute to Government Policy on regulating the sector; assist in developing competency frameworks for assessing and measuring the performance of nurses in aesthetics; work with educational and training providers to develop quality programmes and work with all key stakeholders to raise the awareness of the general public as to the range of treatments available and how best to achieve patient satisfaction.
Starting in 2016, I personally handled the whole HIS application and registration for Temple Medical and have been highly praised at every step of the journey to become HIS compliant, a long, complicated process which is due to be completed in the next month. I have dedicated a huge amount of time and effort to this process, including many hours of my personal time to single-handedly ensure that the application and subsequent inspection was perfect in every sense.
