Fertility nurses, also known as IVF or reproductive nurses, treat patients who need assistance conceiving a child. For those who cannot conceive on their own, fertility nurses play an important role in helping people build the family they desire. With compassion and sensitivity, fertility nurses listen to, educate, and provide solutions for their patients.
Some fertility nurses also care for women going through menopause, working with a healthcare team to guide them through symptoms, monitor hormone replacement therapy, and teach them what to expect during this transition. Not all fertility nurse roles are patient-facing: some jump into the world of research and work with a team of medical professionals and academic experts to discover new fertility treatments.
Where Do Fertility Nurses Work?
Where fertility nurses work depends on their focus. Some common fertility nurse employers include:
Counseling programs
Egg donor centers
Fertility clinics
Hospitals
IVF and fertility research institutions and universities
Obstetrics and gynecological clinics
Infertility is a sensitive topic, and many who go through it are experiencing a complex range of emotions. For many prospective parents, their first step toward fertility treatment is through a fertility counseling program. In these programs, nurses can help their patients understand how the reproductive system works, what might be getting in the way of successful pregnancies, and what their options are.
Egg donor centers provide an important part of the fertility equation, offering viable eggs for fertilization and implantation. Fertility nurses in this role assist in egg retrieval and education. Fertility clinics offer nurses a chance to be a part of insemination: placing a fertilized egg into the uterus. Patients in this stage are often nervous and excited, and their nurse offers reassurance, answers to questions, and information on what to expect.
OBGYN offices work with women who are pregnant, but also those who want to get pregnant or have any other genitourinary concern. Some fertility nurses prefer to work in this environment, where they will be able to help patients understand their options, but also work with them during pregnancy. When a fertility nurse joins a research team, they typically work in an academic institution. Many researchers receive grants through universities and set up shop on campus.
What Does a Fertility Nurse Do?
Fertility nurses complete a wide range of tasks on a daily basis, all while treating patients with empathy, understanding, sensitivity, and absolutely no judgment. They must stay current on all new medical treatments and research and work closely with their physicians, nurse practitioners, and all members of the healthcare team.
Fertility nurses’ tasks vary by their roles, but can include:
Administering fertility (IVF) treatments
Assisting with diagnostic imaging like ultrasounds
Assisting with embryo transfers
Collecting lab specimens
Contacting patients with test results
Counseling patients, families, and donors
Educating patients and families about infertility and menopause
Finding appropriate egg donors
Leading support groups for infertility
Performing physical assessments
Teaching patients how to give fertility (IVF) shots
Working with researchers on data collection and reproductive technology development
Whatever their assigned tasks, fertility nurses must take care to engage with their patients respectfully, recognizing that this may be a difficult time.
How Do I Become a Fertility Nurse?
To become a fertility nurse, the first step is to graduate from an accredited nursing program with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). While both degrees earn the designation of registered nurse, or RN, more and more employers are looking for a BSN when filling nurse roles.
After a nurse earns their degree, they can apply for work right away as a graduate nurse (GN). Many fertility clinics, medical offices, and hospitals hire nurses as GNs for their training period. After they pass their state licensing exam, the NCLEX-RN, GNs become RNs and can practice on their own after they complete their facility’s orientation period.
After some experience, fertility nurses can return to school and earn an advanced practice degree: a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). Once they have this degree, nurses can practice as nurse practitioners (NPs). An MSN can be completed in two years, but some nurses prefer to go at a slower pace so they can work full-time.
Fertility nurses have no specific certification opportunities, but since the field is so closely related to obstetrics and newborn medicine, many choose to test for these certifications through the National Certification Corporation:
Each of these certifications ask nurses to meet the following eligibility requirements:
Current RN license (U.S. or Canada)
Minimum of 2000 hours in 24 months of specialty experience
Employment in the specialty within the last 24 months
How Much Does a Fertility Nurse Make Per Year?
Fertility nurses can earn $81,220 per year on average as of 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS). Fertility nurse salaries are not specified separately from any other RN specialty by the BLS. Salaries can change with location and experience, with a low-end average of $61,250 and a high-end of $129,400. Depending on the workplace type, employers may be able to offer higher or lower compensation:
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: $90,600
Offices of Physicians: $79,810
Outpatient Care Centers: $97,200
The West Coast, New England states, and Alaska pay their nurses the best, but the cost of living in these areas can also be high. The lowest paying states are in the Midwest and some southeastern states.
Fertility nurse practitioners can earn more than RNs, with an average annual salary of $121,610, according to BLS data from 2022. The BLS reports a low-end average of $87,340 and a high-end of $165,240. Salary can also change based on employment type:
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: $129,330
Offices of Physicians: $121,880
Offices of Other Health Practitioners:$112,660
Outpatient Care Centers: $134,030
The location of employment can affect fertility nurse practitioners as well, with differences similar to RNs.
The top paying areas for fertility nurses and nurse practitioners include:
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Napa, CA
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Yuba City, CA
Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA
Are Fertility Nurses in High Demand?
The Centers for Disease Control report that 19% of married women aged 15 to 49 are unable to conceive after one year of trying. There are many different causes of infertility, and for about 50% of men, the cause is never known. The advancements in fertility treatments have given many families the gift of children, and with new technologies and treatments being discovered, this industry is set to double by the end of 2028. These numbers point to adjacent growth for fertility nurse jobs.
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