Page 23 - Aspire Newsletter APRIL 2022 Vol 7 / Issue 2

FERTILITY NURSES SIG
Welcome response to creation of SIG, special certificate course and membership offer
Fertility nurses throughout the Asia Pacific region have welcomed moves by ASPIRE to establish a Special Interest Group (SIG) for nurses and an offer to open free ASPIRE membership for at least a year.
There has also been very positive feedback to a webinar certificate course held in February and March to help practising nurses in the region to keep abreast of latest developments in the management of problems encountered during early pregnancy.
These initiatives were announced in December by ASPIRE President, Professor Tin-Chiu Li, in recognition of the increasingly important role that nurses play in the successful operation of assisted reproduction units and in quality patient care.
A total of 461 fertility nurses enthusiastically participated in three modules of the certificate course, which addressed the monitoring of pregnancy arising from assisted conception and the extra care for women considered at risk of complications.
Nurses who participate in the courses can engage in pre and post module tests to achieve an ASPIRE certificate of completion.
Megan Black, Nurses Manager of Repromed in Auckland, said the course was well received among her colleagues in New Zealand.
“A highlight for me was hearing how nurses in other units manage early pregnancy problems among patients, and I look forward to a proposed ASPIRE certificate course on counseling that I will promote among my colleagues in New Zealand,” Megan said.
“It is often the fertility nurse who has the first interaction with patients new to assisted reproductive technology.
Therefore, it is important that we are well equipped to ease their anxieties with the ability to educate and support them with continuity of care on their reproductive journeys.
Astor Tse ... SIG will provide channels for networking and learning from each other
“I feel it is a good step forward for nurses and midwives to be offered one year free membership of ASPIRE.
“It has been harder to obtain CPD points because of the global pandemic with so many conferences and meetings being cancelled and valuable teaching opportunities lost.
“Luckily, this is being addressed by the ASPIRE Nurses SIG and the certificate course program.”
Astor Tse of the Union Reproductive Medicine Centre in Hong Kong said she was thrilled to be offered ASPIRE membership.
“This is certainly recognition of the vital role fertility nurses have in quality management of their patients,” she said.
“This will help us stay up-to-date on latest advances in our field and allow us to contribute more effectively to patient care.
“I believe the new Special Interest Group for nurses will assist in interaction among nurses in assisted reproduction from different parts of the world. It will provide a channel for networking and learning from each other, and I look forward to seeing how it develops over time.”
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