The Problem No One Talks About in IVF Clinics; Fertility Nursing
At Avenues, we talk a lot about innovation — AI-guided embryo selection, robotic cryostorage, next-gen diagnostics. But behind the scenes, there’s another critical piece of the fertility journey: the nurses who hold it all together.
Fertility nurses do far more than administer medication or check blood results. They’re cycle coordinators, emotional anchors, educators, administrators, and crisis managers. And for every patient treated, a nurse might spend 9 to 16 hours on emails, phone calls, consent forms, and scheduling.
That load isn’t just inefficient. It’s exhausting.
We Asked: What If We Gave Nurses Better Tools — and More Time?
In 2024, we launched a simple experiment at Avenues.
We replaced manual tasks with a digital patient management platform (Wawa Fertility), and at the same time, we piloted a four-day workweek with 10-hour shifts for our fertility nurses.
The idea wasn’t just to save time. It was to see what would happen if we redesigned the way care is delivered, starting with the people who deliver it.
This wasn’t a tech test. It was a human test.
What We Did: The Study Design in Brief
Setting:
- A single Avenues fertility clinic in the UK
- 5 fertility nurses
- 8-month mixed-methods study
Interventions:
- Digital platform: Automated scheduling, consents, and real-time patient communication
- Workweek restructure: Shift from five 8-hour days to four 10-hour days
How We Measured Impact:
- Real-time tracking of nursing tasks
- Structured interviews with staff
- Patient-reported experience measures
The Results: More Time, More Satisfaction, Better Care
40% Less Admin Time
- Nurses reported a drop from 6.5 to 3.9 hours of admin time per IVF cycle
- Fewer emails, phone calls, and repetitive manual tasks
- More time spent with patients — not spreadsheets
Higher Job Satisfaction
All participating nurses reported:
- Greater professional fulfilment
- Improved work-life balance
- Less fatigue and more clarity during patient consultations
Patients Felt It Too
Patients described feeling:
- “More in control” of their treatment
- “Better informed” with real-time access to scans and results
- Closer and more connected to their care team
“I felt more informed, more in control, and more connected to my care.”
— Avenues patient
Why This Matters: IVF Is Personal — and So Is the Work Behind It
In ART clinics, we measure success in embryos and pregnancy rates. But what if success also meant fewer nurse sick days? Fewer dropped balls? More space to listen and not just prescribe?
This study shows that small operational changes can create big human gains:
- Less admin noise
- Happier staff
- Better-informed patients
- No compromise to clinical quality
You can view the original study, titled “Technology-driven Fertility Nursing: How Digitalisation and a Four-Day Workweek Enhance Efficiency, Job Satisfaction, and Patient Care” as presented at ESHRE 41st Annual Meeting →
Read more Reproductive and Fertility Innovation related news here.