Ontario, Canada’s nursing regulator has proposed changes intended to prevent the delegation of aesthetic injectable procedures to unsupervised, unregulated staff.
The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) previously issued guidance for nurses working in aesthetic services, but faced criticism that it did not fully address circumstances in which nurses could delegate injections to staff who are not regulated by a professional college without being physically present.
Under the proposal, nurses would be required to remain on site when delegating medical aesthetic procedures, including botulinum toxin and dermal filler injections and microneedling, to staff members not otherwise authorised to provide them.
Nurse practitioners would also be required to assess each patient, either in person or virtually, and issue a patient-specific order rather than use a general directive, according to the CNO.
The proposals follow concerns regarding “rent a licence” arrangements, in which clinicians may act as medical directors for multiple clinics while having limited day-to-day involvement. The CNO is expected to vote on the changes.