A new bill in introduced in Nevada would create a newly licensed master esthetician profession and regulate many common medical spa procedures. The bill’s primary sponsor is Senator Roberta Lange, and it is known as Senate Bill 291 (SB 291); you can review the text of the bill in full here. It has had initially been assigned to the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor for further consideration.
SB 291 would create a new master esthetician license under the Board of Cosmetology. Before we cover the master esthetician aspects of this bill, we need to discuss an important section of the bill relating to registered nurse (RN) practices in medical spa settings. SB 291 would require RNs to perform non-ablative aesthetic medical procedures under the supervision of a health care practitioner; health care practitioners, in this context, include physicians, physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses. The health care practitioner must be readily available for immediate consultation and no more than 60 miles or 60 minutes travel from the practice site. Additionally, the patient must first be screened by the health care professional who approves the procedures via a treatment plan developed for the patient. RNs would not be able to perform any ablative procedures. The current rules already require a health care professional to examine and order a treatment for a patient and to provide supervision to the RN; the major changes here are the express restriction on distance and the exclusion of ablative procedures.
Similarly, master estheticians may perform non-ablative aesthetic medical procedures under the supervision of a health care professional. This supervision takes the same form as required for RNs—a health professional must prescreen and develop a treatment plan, be available for consultation, and be within 60 miles or 60 minutes. Likewise, master estheticians are not able to perform ablative procedures of any type. The non-ablative aesthetic medical procedures are not expected to excise or remove living tissue, but can use an aesthetic medical device for the purposes of the care of the skin, beautification, anti-aging, permanent hair reduction, skin tightening, skin rejuvenation, non-invasive body contouring and non-invasive lipolysis. In addition to the non-ablative aesthetic medical procedures, master estheticians are also licensed to perform advanced aesthetics, which include:
These advanced aesthetic procedures would not require the supervision of a healthcare professional.
To qualify for license as a master esthetician, a person must be at least 18 years old and must have completed the 10th grade and pass an exam, submit an application and pay an application fee. Additionally, they need to have completed a 1,200-hour board-approved training program, be licensed as an esthetician and have completed a board-approved 750-hour training program, or have practiced as a master esthetician for at least one year.
There is a trend among many states to move common medical spa procedures either to their own license, such as with laser hair removal technicians, or to expand the scope of practice of estheticians or master estheticians. SB 291 is solidly part of this trend and, if passed, would create an expanded license tailor-made for medical spa practices while still working under medical supervision.
We will be monitoring SB 291 as it works its way through Nevada’s legislative process this year.