The emotional rocky roller coaster ride of IVF

Every patient that walks through our fertility door does so full of hope for the future and potential parenthood. If I had to discuss the emotional and rocky roller coaster their journey was about to take, would our patients sign up? Absolutely, of course they would.

As a nurse of over 35 years my underlying desire to care for and nurture my patients is underpinned by my NMC (Nursing & Midwifery Council) code of practice, which expects me to always prioritise people, practice effectively, preserve safety and promote professionalism and trust. Keeping all of this in mind as my patient embarks on their fertility journey, can be really challenging, but it’s always at the forefront of my mind.

Being realistic

When we first meet our patients, we must prepare them and be realistic about the challenges ahead, whether they’re at the start of their journey, or decided to change course. We need to support our patients in committing to their treatment and get them to take the responsibility to ensure they are in the best physical and emotional state in readiness to ensure they give their best. As nurses, we can support our patients every step of the way but without their commitment, it can be difficult to navigate.

Patients will need to have support in place as they start treatment, when attending appointments, giving consent and considering what that might mean for any future children. Support can come in many ways: such as the app that guides them through their treatment, giving them direct access to clinic staff; that nurse call that alleviates their worries and concerns, or their counselling support that allows them to discuss the reasons for treatment and what the outcome may mean to them.

As I write this, I am thinking of how my patients are feeling and when they take those important steps through the clinic door, how I interpret their needs. Partners will have different needs within a relationship and as nurses we need to anticipate this and support all involved in the process from the single person, right through to the complicated surrogacy arrangement and all those in between.

The COVID challenge

When COVID-19 hit us, we had no idea of the enormity of what was about to unfold. The unprecedented way in which we had to adapt on a daily basis was extremely challenging. We took advice from the Government and our regulatory bodies and made the heart-breaking decision to cease fertility treatments for the first three months of the pandemic.

No amount of training prepares you for making those calls to your patients, advising them that their fertility treatment will not be going ahead and that we did not know when we might be able to offer them treatment in the future. We have worked tirelessly to ensure we can provide a safe place for our patients, during these strangest of times.

Sadly, the pandemic has reduced that very important face-to-face contact with patients and brought another element of fear and worry to the already emotional rocky roller coaster ride.

That being said, with our amazing staff, patient support networks such as Fertility Network UK, technology and social media, we can all get a little closer to our patients to support their emotional wellbeing on a daily basis.

Debbie Evans
Director of Nursing & Clinical Services