Episode 369 · Regulation

The nurse who took the regulator to a tribunal, and won

With Nicky Tzimas, Nurse PractitionerHosts Dr Jake Sloane and David Segal

About this episode

Nicky Tzimas, a Nurse Practitioner from Melbourne with more than 35 years in nursing and 18 years in aesthetics, shares her unprecedented fight to achieve Nurse Practitioner (NP) endorsement in aesthetic medicine.

When the Nursing and Midwifery Board refused to accept that an aesthetics background was suitable for NP endorsement, Nicky challenged the decision at a tribunal and won. We talk through the delays and reversal from AHPRA, her appeal to VCAT, why aesthetics was dismissed, and the emotional toll of taking on the regulator.

We also cover what this landmark decision could mean for other nurses in aesthetics, the costs and legal preparation involved, staying compliant, and what life as a Nurse Practitioner looks like day to day.

What you'll learn

  • The basics of the Nurse Practitioner pathway, including the costs, hours and advanced practice requirements
  • How AHPRA's delay and reversal unfolded, and why Nicky appealed to VCAT
  • Why an aesthetics background was dismissed for NP endorsement
  • Why Nicky wanted to become a Nurse Practitioner in the first place
  • The emotional toll of taking on the regulator, and how she rebuilt her confidence
  • How university gatekeeping affects nurses working in aesthetics
  • What this landmark tribunal win could mean for other Nurse Practitioners in aesthetics
  • The costs and legal preparation involved in challenging a regulator
  • Staying compliant, and how mental health comes up in consults

Chapters

Timed to the audio version on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The YouTube and Spotify video versions may run at slightly different times.

  1. Introduction
  2. IA Community app update
  3. Meet our special guest Nicky Tzimas
  4. NP pathway basics
  5. Costs, hours and advanced practice
  6. AHPRA delay and reversal
  7. Appeal to VCAT
  8. Why aesthetics was dismissed
  9. Why become an NP
  10. Withheld endorsement evidence
  11. Emotional toll and impact
  12. Taking on the regulator
  13. Aesthetics under fire
  14. Winning the tribunal
  15. University gatekeeping
  16. Landmark case impact
  17. Rebuilding confidence
  18. Staying compliant
  19. Costs and legal preparation
  20. Life as a Nurse Practitioner
  21. Mental health in consults
  22. Thanks and next steps
  23. Wrap up

Topics

  • Nurse Practitioner
  • NP endorsement
  • Nurse injectors
  • AHPRA
  • Nursing and Midwifery Board
  • VCAT
  • Tribunal appeal
  • Regulation
  • Advanced practice nursing
  • Aesthetic nursing careers
  • Compliance
  • Mental health in consults

Full transcript

The full transcript for this episode is coming soon.