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ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥ Representing nurses and nursing, promoting excellence in practice, shaping health policies

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Our work

How we represent forum members

  • Conveying expert opinion in the field of fertility nursing.
  • Leading across the breadth of our specialism whilst improving practice and delivery of care.
  • Supporting the learning and developmental needs of members working within fertility nursing.
  • Raising the professional profile and promoting the visibility of policy and practice in fertility nursing.
  • Leading and influencing the public health agenda to promote high standards in fertility nursing care.
  • Engaging with other stakeholder groups in assisted reproduction.

Read the Fertility Nursing Forum 2023 Charter

Contact

Professional Lead: Carmel Bagness - Follow the forum on Twitter:  and Facebook: 

Our strategy

  • Maintaining an effective fertility nurses committee.
  • To deliver the Fertility Nursing forum conference annually.
  • To contribute to the ongoing review of publications attached to the forum.
  • To represent the RCN and fertility nursing on a number of national committees.
  • To enhance membership of the forum.
  • Contribute to RCN Congress annually.
  • To commence work on new fertility projects.
  • Support professional learning and development of fertility nursing community.
  • Providing fertility nursing expertise and input to RCN.
  • Engaging with fertility nurses to provide leadership and training.

What we are currently working on

  • We are working jointly with the Midwifery Forum, and Women’s Health Forum on a position statement around supporting women with reproductive health needs, in the workplace. 
  • We are embarking on a new project to develop guidelines for nurses, midwives, registered nursing associate to best support women who have experienced early pregnancy loss.
  • Creating guidelines for nurses developing skills in Ultrasound scanning in Fertility Care. This project is in collaboration with BFS and SING. 
  • Developing guidance for nurses working at Advanced level practice in Fertility Care.
  • Joint meetings with representatives from BFS and SING continue in order to enhance collaboration and engagement in workstreams.
  • We are currently planning our Fertility Nursing National Conference for Wednesday 2 October 2024.
  • We are continue to representing RCN and the fertility nursing at a  range of relevant national activities (see report below).

We are also running a series of fertility nursing mini seminars:

  • 18 June 2024: 1-2pm, Fertility Complications and Management 
  • 11 September 2024: 1-2pm, Fertility Care and Mental wellbeing
  • 3 December 2024: 1-2pm, Pregnancy Loss.

Recent activity

Read our recent project completion and evaluation reports

Recent webinars

The Fertility Nursing ForumÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™s final online seminar of 2024 featuring Oonagh Pickering, Lead Research Nurse at Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research, who led ground-breaking research into the causes and treatments of baby loss and complications to save babies' lives.
Discover how implementing a Women's Health Policy for the nursing and wider health and social care workforce can make a significant impact on employee wellbeing, as well as on your organisation. With the ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥ launching their position statement on supporting women’s reproductive health at work, this is the perfect time to think about drafting or refreshing yours.

Fertility complications and management

Aoife Corley, Director of Nursing at ReproMed, provides insights and expertise on how best to support complex cases in fertility and the specialised care and treatment provided, to individuals facing challenges or unique circumstances that may impact their ability to conceive. This can include factors such as advanced high BMI, diabetes, and other conditions that require additional care.

Fertility immunology and the role of natural killer cells

Julie Morgan, MSc, RGN, APM (PFQ) explores immunology in the context of fertility treatments and its alignment with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). This includes consideration of the role of natural killer cells, a key component of the immune system in fertility challenges and treatments.

Nutrition on a Fertility Journey

The ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥ Fertility Nursing Forum invited Debi Cale, who is a registered Nutritional Therapist specialising in fertility, reproductive health for men and women, pre-conception and hormones, to discuss the importance of nutrition on a fertility journey. During the seminar Debi focused on foods, vitamins and minerals that will help to support reproductive health for both men and women and gave some great tips that nurses can pass onto their patients. Watch this 1 hour session chaired by Anne Howard, RCN Fertility Nursing Forum committee member to understand the importance of nutrition within a fertility journey.

Download the presentation

References

The surrogacy law and what it means for clinics

The RCN Fertility Nursing Forum invited Natalie Sutherland, partner at Burgess Mee Family Law, to lead a presentation on the proposed draft surrogacy bill 'Building Families Through Surrogacy: A New Law', and what this means for those working with patients in clinics as part of a surrogacy arrangement. Natalie took us through the recommendations outlined in the Draft Bill and how this may change the future of surrogacy law in the UK.

Watch the 1 hour session, which was chaired by Francesca Steyn, Chair of the RCN Fertility Nursing Forum, to understand the draft surrogacy bill and learn more about the proposed changes.

Fertility care and emotional wellbeing

Making sense of women's health

Primary ovarian insufficiency in fertility care

Leading, collaborating, influencing

The RCN and its forums are invited to participate in many cross working and multidisciplinary workstreams. Below are a selection of some of the activities that members of the Fertility Nursing Forum are involved in on your behalf.

  • . The RCN is represented on the HFEA professional organisations stakeholder group (PSG).
  • Sally Cheshire CBE, outgoing Chair of the HFEA, acknowledges the role of the RCN Fertility Nursing Forum in combined efforts to improve fertility treatment and embryo research across the UK.
  • . Human Fertility is the official journal of the RCN Fertility Nursing Forum.
  • . Members represent the Fertility Nursing Forum at BFS meetings.
  • . Members of the Fertility Nursing Forum sit on the steering committee of Fertility Fairness, which campaigns for people to have comprehensive and equal access to a full range of appropriate NHS investigations and treatments for infertility.
  • . We continue to strengthen links with SING to increase access to education for fertility nurses.
  • All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on surrogacy. Members of the RCN Fertility Nursing Forum are represented on this group.

Page last updated - 09/12/2024