Performed an Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) for the first time!
Today, I shadowed at a reproductive medicine clinic that specializes in fertility care (similar to what I do at work -- except, today my role was NP student, not as nurse). I followed a few NPs who walked me through the clinic, where they do patient education, where their oocyte retrieval procedures are performed (got to observe a few retrievals in the OR -- it was neat see the similarities and differences compared to where I work as a nurse). I observed one of the NPs perform the first few IUI procedures, and then she let me do a few! No Jane the Virgin moments here -- we have patients sign consent forms and double check the names and labels of their sperm sample before anything is inserted!
White OR scrubs... lemme tell you... I did not wear the right kind of underwear. TMI? Oh well. Doubled up on the pants to try to cover up more. On the bright side, everyone in the OR was female -- nurses, anesthesiologist, surgeon, embryologist, patients.
Fertility care is all about patient education. Patients undergoing infertility treatment need to be walked through everything since they're the ones going home with hormone injections that they have to administer themselves!
Had a blast today and can't wait to continue learning more about the fascinating and complicated world of reproductive health.
Sincerely,
Meagan