Nurses Webinar - Role of Fertility Nurse

The Role of the Fertility Nurse Specialistin Australia

Mrs. Denise Donati (RN. BScN. MNurs. Co-Owner Fertility Solutions Sunshine Coast & Bundaberg)

Email: [email protected]

NFN January 2012© The Role of the Infertility Nurse in

Australia Denise Donati 1

mailto:[email protected]

• Australasian fertility nurse specialists work in a variety of settings with the majority functioning as a member of a multidisciplinary team within an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) clinic.

• Fertility nurse specialists provide care for individuals and couples before, during & after fertility treatment.

• The following presentation is designed to provide an insight into the multifaceted scope of practice and responsibilities of the role.

NFN January 2012© The Role of the Fertility Nurse Specialist

in Australia Denise Donati 2

INTRODUCTION

Overview

•History of IVF

•Definitions

•Fertility nursing through out the ages



History of IVF:•1978 Birth of Louise Brown



History of IVF:



Robert Edwards ScientistPatrick Steptoe

Gynaecologist

Jean Purdy First Fertility Nurse

What are assisted reproductive technologies (ART’s ) ?



1. Intra Uterine Inseminations (IUI)• http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=ULqCdIiLLF0vw&feature=player_detailpage&v=qCdIiLLF0vw#t=46s



http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=ULqCdIiLLF0vw&feature=player_detailpage&v=qCdIiLLF0vw

2. In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)



IVF Video

•http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=GeigYib39Rs



Basic Steps to IVF: 1. Superovulation



2. Oocyte (egg) Retrieval



3. Fertilisation



4. Embryo Culture



Human OocyteHuman Oocyte surrounded by sperm

4. Embryo Culture cont.



2 Pronuclear Stage2 cell Stage

4. Embryo Culture cont.



4 Cell Embryo Day 5 Blastocyst

5. Embryo Transfer



WHAT ABOUT THE NURSES?



History of the role of the fertility nurse:•1970’S – Hospital based infertility clinics with Nurses considered doctors “handmaidens”

•1980’s to 90’s – IVF clinics appear within hospitals and Nurses became “coordinators”

•Mid 90’s to 2000’s – Private IVF Clinics & Nurses start extending roles i.e. counselling, scanning



Today roles and scope can include:Performing inseminationsPerforming ultrasound scans for follicle trackingManaging & coordinating cycles Education of patients and colleaguesCounsellingPerforming Embryo transfers



Role of Fertility Nurses cont.,•Counselling & Psychological Support•General information & advice – preconception•Practitioner can often adopt an investigative-educative role



Some Fertility Nurses work as independent practitioners performing patient assessments and education:

How long have the couple been trying to conceive? Regularity of intercourse Age of the FemaleMenstrual cycle Semen Quality General Health and Wellbeing Lifestyle Issues



Information on FNA



With education, training and peer support Fertility nurses have the ability to extend and

expand their scope of practice. In some clinics, Fertility nurses work in very autonomous roles



Nurses who both extend andexpand their roles are not

becoming ‘mini-doctors’ but rather ‘maxi-nurses’

(J. Salvage, 1998: 120).



ConclusionFertility nursing is a relatively new specialty which offers a diverse and challenging environment in which a nurse can work. The scope of practice is continuing to expand to accommodate rapid developments in reproductive science, along with societal pressures and expectations which ensures exciting opportunities exist for nurses interested in, and committed to, the care of couples facing fertility issues.



THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

14th World Congress November 2011

© How critical is the timing of insemination for IUI cycles? Denise Donati 27

Nurses Webinar - Role of Fertility Nurse

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