If you’re looking for alternatives to your traditional nursing role, you’re not alone. 

Fun fact: Google search volume for “aesthetic nursing jobs” more than doubled over the last year. 

With the added stress on nurses, it’s no wonder that flexible, entrepreneurial roles outside of the hospital are becoming just what the doctor ordered (pun intended)! At the top of the list for career change-ups are cosmetic nurse jobs and Hydreight nurse jobs. 

Both nursing jobs are of a similar vein, responding to the rise of cosmetic procedures and the popularization of wellness therapies. You may have even noticed the trend of Hydreight nurses on TikTok. So, what’s the #Hydreightnurse buzz about? Also, do the benefits of cosmetic nurses surpass IV nursing?

Read on as we share the pros and cons of being a Hydreight nurse versus a cosmetic nurse. Think: job differences, salary, and more. 

First Things First—What is a Hydreight Nurse?

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Before we answer what a Hydreight nurse is, let’s explain what Hydreight is. Hydreight is a popular mobile health and wellness service provider offering IV hydration therapy to patients. IV therapy for patients can be delivered in homes, hotel rooms, and, well, pretty much wherever requested and reasonable. 

Sometimes used synonymously with “IV Infusion nurse,” a Hydreight nurse is a mobile IV nurse who joins Hydreight’s medical network. This allows them to give out IV drips (and potentially other services) to users who book them via the Hydreight app. In this article, we will use the terms interchangeably, like we do cosmetic, aesthetic, and med spa nurses.

Like cosmetic nurse jobs, a Hydreight nurse job is a non-traditional nurse role that offers more flexibility but requires more travel and an unconventional work environment.

Typically, IV infusion nurses can’t perform dermatologic and cosmetic procedures like cosmetic injections (e.g., Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin) and dermal fillers. To do so, they must have the necessary training. In this sense, cosmetic nurses tend to have more specialization. 

What is a Cosmetic Nurse?

An aesthetic or cosmetic nurse is a registered nurse (RN) or nurse practitioner (NP) with further training and specialization in aesthetic and dermatologic procedures. Unlike plastic surgery nurses who may assist with procedures, aesthetic nurses actually do non-surgical cosmetic procedures in-office, independently.

The amount of autonomy that a cosmetic nurse has depends on the operating state, clinic, and type of ownership.

Aesthetic nurses perform medical screenings, hold patient interviews, offer skin and health assessments, and perform a range of non-surgical procedures, including:

• Cosmetic injections
• Laser treatments
• Non-invasive body contouring procedures
• Skin treatments like chemical peels and microdermabrasion‍

In many ways, cosmetic nurse jobs are both an art and a science. Learn more about aesthetic nursing and how to become an aesthetic nurse.

Pros & Cons: Hydreight Nurse vs. Cosmetic Nurse Jobs?

Hydreight nurse and cosmetic nurse jobs both offer numerous unique benefits. First, let’s delve into the mutual benefits of both nursing fields before exploring the specific advantages and disadvantages.

Shared Benefits Between Hydreight and Cosmetic Nurse Jobs:‍

•  Flexible work schedules: Nurses can set their own hours, working at different times and in fixed or mobile locations.
•  Higher pay and earning power: Self-employed nurses earn 10 to 20% more than traditionally employed nurses, with uncapped potential as your own med spa owner. Hydreight nurses claim to earn more than $76 per hour!
• Independence: There is greater ownership over the work they do with the ability to design what your career looks like.
•  Direct patient interaction: The ability to continue to serve patients and foster real 1:1 connections with a less intensive workload.

While not necessarily a pro or con, it should be noted that Hydreight nurses have a 1099 nurse contract. This means that they are independent contractors (ICs). Cosmetic nurses that run their own med spas are also considered self-employed workers. ICs need to pay steep self-employment taxes (double fees for social security and Medicare taxes than employed counterparts) and handle their own accounting. However, they can also expense some business-related costs.

Hydreight Nurse Pros:

• Manageable workload: Nurses don’t have to deal with complex, draining patient cases. Instead, you can determine the right number of clients for you and your schedule.
• Ease in starting a business: Working under Hydreight allows nurses to create their own legal business without an LLC. Additionally, you gain access to Hydreight’s connections to suppliers and doctors.
• Coverage and support: Being part of a franchise, nurses benefit from greater coverage and support. As a turnkey business model, nurses get a headstart launching their own IV infusion business with training and marketing support.

Hydreight Nurse Cons:

• Saturated market: Hydreight nurses book clients mainly through the Hydreight app. The model for the app is Uber-like, where the fastest provider to “claim” the job from the queue gets it first. In this sense, nurses must be “on” to build a full schedule.
• Safety concerns: As a traveling nurse, you must visit clients in various locations, including hotels and poolsides. This could be a safety concern, especially if you need to see clients in unfamiliar or unsafe areas and feel competitive to accept the job via the app before performing due diligence.
• Variable workload: While there is greater flexibility, busyness is also unpredictable and may be stacked towards evenings, weekends, or special events. 
• Travel factor: Traveling from one client to the next means a lot of car time, packing and unpacking, parking, etc. This requires a lot of time and effort.
• Pay a revenue cut to Hydreight: Hydreight takes a 10% gross commission on all the services, not to mention transaction and processing fees. 

Cosmetic Nurse Pros

• Create your own schedule: In contrast to the unpredictable nature of the Hydreight app, you can schedule appointments in advance, offering more control over your work-life balance.

Build loyal clientele: Although working for Hydreight can provide a platform for starting a business, working as a cosmetic nurse gives you the option to either: join a more established, independent practice or start your own med spa business and build a stable client base. Either route for your first cosmetic nurse job means fewer one-off clients.

• Choose your own location: Unlike the travel-intensive nature of a Hydreight nurse’s job, a cosmetic nurse can choose to work in one fixed location, like an aesthetic clinic, or to open a med spa in any preferred location. This allows you to avoid the safety concerns and travel time associated with treating from various client locations. Bonus: no app use or deductions required!
• Safer, less stressful work environment: Cosmetic nursing usually occurs in a controlled, clinical environment. This is generally safer and less stressful than visiting clients in various locations, which may be unpredictable or unsafe.
• Add IV Infusion therapy as a service: Not only can you offer IV infusion therapy as one of your services, just like a Hydreight nurse, but you also have the opportunity to provide a broader range of aesthetic treatments, capturing a wider clientele. 

Cosmetic Nurse Cons

• Longer working hours: In the early stages of setting up your business, you may need to work long hours to establish a client base and ensure your business is profitable.
• Sales skills: While not always a negative, as a cosmetic nurse running your own practice, you’ll need to be more involved in selling the right services to your patients. This may be a learned skill for some.
• Specific education and training requirement: Again, while not necessarily a con, cosmetic nursing requires specialized training, certification in aesthetics, and job shadowing. You also should stay up-to-date with the latest aesthetic procedures and treatments, which means ongoing education.

How Much Do Aesthetic Nursing Jobs Near Me Pay?

ZipRecruiter reports that entry-level aesthetic nurse injectors earn an average of $94 per hour in the U.S. Location significantly affects potential earnings, with some cities and states paying more. Aesthetic nurses in Sunnyvale and Livermore, CA, earn about $112,000 annually, while in Tennessee, they earn an average of $99,310 per year. 

Starting your own med spa can be even more financially rewarding as you build your own practice and even create cosmetic nurse jobs for others.

Learn more about cosmetic nurse jobs, their potential earnings, and how to become one in this all-in-one article!

Hydreight Nurse vs. Cosmetic Nurse Jobs; TLDR

The fact that you’re here, researching into your next chapter as a nurse, is a major step forward! Taking the leap into cosmetic nursing or IV therapy isn’t for the faint of heart, but the more you know, the more you will be prepared to advance your career.

Hydreight nurses, like cosmetic nurses, relish flexibility and high earnings but grapple with safety issues, a competitive landscape, and unpredictability. Cosmetic nurses forge their own successful practices and deliver aesthetic services in safer, more controlled environments. They also rely on themselves and their community to build a business where the sky is truly the limit.

We applaud you for being one step closer to a job in creative nursing! 

Learn How Moxie is Helping Nurses Create Their Own Aesthetic Nursing Jobs!

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