Karen Ferguson: compassionate & collaborative care.

In the bustling world of fertility clinics, where every ultrasound and blood test represent an important step toward parenthood, our fertility nurses are at the heart of patient care.

As IVF has progressed, one thing has never changed: the need to have compassionate nurses supporting patients throughout their treatment.

Group Director of Nursing and Clinical Services at Sims IVF, Karen Ferguson, has worked in fertility nursing for nearly 10 years and explains the importance of investing in nurses.

“Our nursing teams are critical to the patient experience. They run the ultrasound departments, carry out cycle monitoring scans and bloods every morning, take part in daily medical meetings and follow up with the patients in the afternoon. We run daily theatre procedures where our nurses collaborate with healthcare assistants, embryologists and doctors to ensure each list runs smoothly. And, we allocate nurses to treatment planning and scheduling each day, as well as responding to patient messages in our patient app or over the phone,” Karen explains. “The clinics simply wouldn’t run without nurses.”

In the midst of this constant motion, our nurses maintain an unwavering focus on supporting their patients and their colleagues through challenging work.

“Fertility is a highly emotive field of medicine. We are giving life-changing news on a daily basis, both positive and negative, which in itself can be a huge challenge. As nurses and midwives, we must be empathetic and caring to each individual that we deal with. It’s important to remember the impact that we have on our patients and to have full awareness of what we say, our tone, body language and our expressions. I am lucky to work with a team who not only support our patients but also one another to ensure all round wellbeing,” Karen said.

And while the need for compassionate nurses remains unchanged, we have seen an evolution of fertility nursing, as nurses are empowered to progress their skills and apply their expertise to different parts of the patient experience. As Karen explains, it delivers efficiencies and provides opportunities to develop professionally.

“The role of the nurse has progressed massively in recent years with training and education accessibility. By investing in nurses, clinics can harness their specialist skills and expertise to help improve outcomes and patient experience. In Sims IVF, five of our nurses are now carrying out Saline Infusion Sonography (SIS) scans which historically were carried out by doctors and are supported by training from University College Dublin (UCD).”

As for the future, Karen believes there is a role for nurses to play in research and innovation in the ART sector.

“I would like to see nurses and midwives become more involved in fertility-related research in Ireland. By taking part in research and clinical trials, nurses and midwives could apply their knowledge to help pave the way for future care and innovations within the field,” she said.

Karen Ferguson completed her nursing degree in at Queens University, Belfast in 2015 before moving to Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK to begin her fertility nursing career. Training in Newcastle’s Centre for Life, Karen gained valuable experience in all aspects of fertility care including performing embryo transfers, ultrasound scanning and fertility preservation for oncology patients. Karen joined the Sims IVF team in August 2020, during Covid-19, initially as nursing manager for the Clonskeagh clinic (South Dublin). At the start of 2023, she became Director of Nursing and Clinical Services for the Sims IVF Group.

In May, Karen will be co-chairing “Sharing Best Practice”, a fertility nursing conference held by Merck in Dublin. She is also contributing to the development of materials for the nursing components in “Virtus Learn” which is a new e-learning and training platform due to be rolled out across Virtus later this year.