Infertility is a crisis of the deepest kind. Not everyone has the goal of becoming a parent, but for those who do, being unable to conceive a child is an exquisitely painful reality. Many of us spend a portion of our lives attempting to avoid unplanned pregnancies, and assume that once we are ready to conceive, it will happen with little difficulty. We tend to think that shifting gears from preventing pregnancy to planning conception and childbirth will proceed in a relatively smooth and orderly fashion. A failure to conceive, then, is a major life stressor, which can wreak havoc on otherwise well-adjusted couples. It threatens many aspects of a couple__ampersandsignmiddot;s life - not only the partners relationship to each other, but it also effects them individually and their relationship with friends and family.
hly successful, with pregnancy rates obtained with most treatment comparable to natural pregnancy rates. For those couples who do not become pregnant after several treatment cycles, the decision to continue treatment is made depending on their individual wishes and needs in consultation with experts. The incidence of infertility in men and women is almost identical. After thorough medical investigations, the causes of the fertility problem remain unexplained in only a minority of infertile couples (5-10%).
The role of the infertility nurse is continually expanding and changing to meet the demands of couples undergoing assisted reproduction. Infertility nurses play a major role in ovulation induction programmes. The extended role of infertility nurse practitioners allows more continuity of care and better understanding of patients__ampersandsignmiddot; needs and results in the involvement of fewer people in the overall care.
One of the more positive aspects of IVF is actually having regular contact with the IVF nurse. The nurse takes the client through the whole IVF treatment process step by step. She will repeat everything that she has told to make sure that the client understands everything that is going on. The nurse is the person who will check blood test and ultrasound appointments. She will be the client__ampersandsignmiddot;s first port of call if anything goes wrong during the treatment __ampersandsignsup2; like breaking a vial of medicine, like having unusual pain when client shouldn__ampersandsignmiddot;t. The nurses offer solace and advice when unusual things happen during the treatment process. They will lend their ear in times of distress. They will recognize when client is close to breaking point and arrange to meet with a counselor if need be.
The nurses are the unsung heroes of the whole process. The successes achieved in this still evolving field are in large part attributable to the pivotal role played by nurses. IVF nurses are bright, intelligent, and compassionate individuals who have found their calling helping those in search of family achieve their long-held dream of parenthood. Nurses are problem solvers and multitaskers who take on a multitude of responsibilities. IVF nurses must wear many hats. They must understand embryology, andrology, endocrinology, gynecology, obstetrics, genetics, oncology, information technology, and of course psychology. They are the most important bridge between highly technical information and physician prescriptions and their patients__ampersandsignmiddot; ability to understand and implement the treatment. IVF nurses must learn not just the science of reproduction but also the art of telling a patient empathically of her pregnancy test is negative.
Roles
As a fertility nurse: As a fertility nurse she bears an extensive background in the fertility industry. Nurses have access to the information and the latest research in a field that is everchanging. They can provide informed, medical, timely support so that options and decisions are not overwhelming. They are a complement and an integral part of client care.
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