Fertility/IVF Nursing

Sour Lemon · May 26, 2018

Hi everyone!
I am a new grad working on a med surg unit. I am trying to figure out where I want to specialize. I have some interest in fertility/IVF Nursing. Does anyone have my experience/knowledge they can share about this field?
Thanks!!

Fertility clinics are largely staffed by medical assistants. Common "nursing" tasks are blood draws and running labs, chaperoning, teaching, and prepping rooms and equipment. The MAs also handle the insurance, front desk, etc. Larger offices may have one actual nurse for IM injections or the rare task than an MA can't accomplish (which may vary by state).

Patients give most of their own medications at home. Medical providers typically do their own procedures in office. For out of office procedures, there are staff at the surgery centers that take over.

Editorial Team / Admin · May 26, 2018

Moved to OB/GYN Nursing forum.

**LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM** · May 26, 2018

Fertility clinics are largely staffed by medical assistants. Common "nursing" tasks are blood draws and running labs, chaperoning, teaching, and prepping rooms and equipment. The MAs also handle the insurance, front desk, etc. Larger offices may have one actual nurse for IM injections or the rare task than an MA can't accomplish (which may vary by state).
Patients give most of their own medications at home. Medical providers typically do their own procedures in office. For out of office procedures, there are staff at the surgery centers that take over.

My experience as a fertility patient was very different, although I did go to a huge practice. They had a full staff of nurses, every patient is assigned a nurse when come into the practice and they're your go-to and main source of communication about your plan of care during the whole process. She told me when to come in for blood draws, then called me the afternoon after the blood draw to review my results with me, and told me what doses of what meds to take and when. The practice had an online portal with educational videos that were required viewing, like how to give IM injections, what genetic screening is, etc., so the nurse didn't have to go over little things like that, but overall the nurses were pretty vital to the practice. The practice did have MAs who would bring you to your exam room and chaperone while you got a TV ultrasound or other procedures done, but otherwise my nurse was my main companion through that whole process (and she was awesome, I'm really grateful for the care I got from her). There was a separate staff of nurses for the surgery center.

All of this is to say that moderately sized to large fertility practices definitely do use nurses. From their website, it looked like my practice was frequently hiring nurses, and had a main nurse manager for all of the sites in the practice as well as a full-time nurse educator. I'm not sure what kind of experience they looked for, probably ideally something in OB but I'm guessing a solid background in med/surg would be favorable too. Look into practices in your area and make some cold calls, you may find something!

DowntheRiver · May 26, 2018

Fertility clinics are largely staffed by medical assistants. Common "nursing" tasks are blood draws and running labs, chaperoning, teaching, and prepping rooms and equipment. The MAs also handle the insurance, front desk, etc. Larger offices may have one actual nurse for IM injections or the rare task than an MA can't accomplish (which may vary by state).
Patients give most of their own medications at home. Medical providers typically do their own procedures in office. For out of office procedures, there are staff at the surgery centers that take over.

My response is as someone who interviewed as a nurse for a fertility clinic and as a fertility patient. I am a patient at the same place I interviewed just not the same location. This is a large fertility practice with 4 locations and 1 surgery center.

There was only 1 MA at each location. The MA did the triage and served as the observer/assistant during exams, ultrasounds, and minor procedures.

When I interviewed for the RN position the job was M-F 8 to 5 for 3 weeks then 1 week you would have off two days during the week and you'd have to work the weekend. Holidays and call were also required, but only 1 location was open during holidays. The duties included performing pelvics, ordering meds off standing orders, IUIS, drawing labs, coordinating with the doctor, assisting with procedures, performing injections, coordinating care, and providing education.

As a patient, I speak with my doctor's assigned nurse. At the location I go to, I like my Doctor but hate his nurse. She is not very polite or friendly, and whenever I have questions it seems like I am really inconveniencing her. I have definitely missed some key times and had to wait a month or two because she is not very good at her job. I'd switch locations but the others are almost an hour away. This practice has a 67% FET success rate so I am playing nice so I don't get kicked out of the practice. I'm telling you this because you need to like answering questions, patient education, and phone triage as they're going to be about 50% of your duties.

Sour Lemon · May 26, 2018

It sounds like there's quite a bit of variation. I've been a patient in TX and CA, but only run across a "stray" nurse here and there ...wishing you both success if you're still trying!!

**LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM** · May 27, 2018

It sounds like there's quite a bit of variation. I've been a patient in TX and CA, but only run across a "stray" nurse here and there ...wishing you both success if you're still trying!!

We were lucky enough to have a daughter almost two years ago now. I joke that because of what I had to go through to conceive her, I was blessed with the easiest pregnancy ever, a fast labor, the successful home birth that I wanted/planned, and the happiest baby I know. Wishing you the same success if you're still trying too. :happy:

Sour Lemon · May 27, 2018

We were lucky enough to have a daughter almost two years ago now. I joke that because of what I had to go through to conceive her, I was blessed with the easiest pregnancy ever, a fast labor, the successful home birth that I wanted/planned, and the happiest baby I know. Wishing you the same success if you're still trying too.

I have a few of the monsters, now. It was a long road, though. :dummy1:

DowntheRiver · May 27, 2018

No luck yet here but we just started the testing process in March. Doing IVF in September due to low motility and morphology so we have to do ICSI. I just want one but if I'm blessed with two or three the more the merrier.

To the OP: I forgot to mention that I was offered the Fertility Nurse position but declined. The salary was awesome and the benefits were pretty good but I didn't want to work weekends and holidays so I declined.