Working Life: Claire Collins, fertility nurse

Claire Collins talks us through her day as a fertility nurse. 

6am

I’m on the road early because I travel from Carlow where I live with my husband Fergal and our two sons Hugh (5) and Robert (6). When I started with Sims, I was living in Cork, but a job opportunity arose for my husband in Dublin and we settled on Carlow where I have wonderful family support. I work Monday to Wednesday, overnighting in Cork, so dinners are prepared on Sunday.

8am

Mornings are busy working through the ultrasound list and conducting blood tests. We try to fit scans in around patients’ needs, for example arranging early appointments if they need to get to work. The scan typically takes 20 minutes although we spend longer with the patient if it’s their first visit. It’s crucial to ensure they understand their treatment plan. It can be quite an emotional time for them.

10am

I see a couple this morning for the first time. They are due to undergo IVF. I talk to them about the injections involved in the treatment and I give a drug demonstration. The woman will have to inject into her thigh or abdomen at a certain point in her cycle. I then take bloods and I advise them that counselling is available. I make sure to give them written information also, because it can be hard to take everything in.

12 noon

In between scans, I download messages from our nurseline and respond to patient queries. We also ensure blood samples that need a same-day result — such as pregnancy hormone tests and hormone results from IVF — are ready to go to the Bon Secours Hospital by noon. We have online access to results and they can be accessed in early afternoon in time for a meeting with the embryology team and doctors.

2.30pm

The blood test results are discussed at the meeting and changes made, if necessary, to treatment plans. We also review the morning’s work and raise any queries that need to be addressed by either of our two consultants.

3.30pm

We start scheduling more patient appointments and we make sure the scanning list and blood test lists are ready for the next day and that the theatre is stocked. We call patients to set up appointments for egg collection.

5pm

I head back to Carlow on Wednesday, looking forward to four days catch-up with my family.

- Claire Collins, senior fertility nurse/ midwife, Sims Clinic, City Gate, Cork