Nursing

Melbourne IVF’s dedicated nursing team are trained in fertility nursing and come from various backgrounds in women’s health including midwifery, neonatal intensive care, emergency and Intensive Care Units, and general nursing areas.

Melbourne IVF’s unique nursing structure allows for a small team of nurses to care for each individual patient providing continuity of care. The nursing team is the patient’s point of contact throughout their treatment, to answer questions, discuss problems, commence a cycle or liaise with the patient’s managing doctor on their behalf. They also perform blood tests and scans, give injections, and guide patients through techniques to enable future injections to be self administered in the comfort of the patient’s own home.

Specialised nursing services are also provided for patients requiring specific care throughout the early stages of pregnancy, and patients undergoing treatment through the donor program.

The Early Pregnancy Care Nurse is responsible for managing the care of patients in the early stages of pregnancy, including women who have experienced a pregnancy loss, or who are at risk of experiencing a pregnancy loss. This involves repeating blood tests where necessary, monitoring the hormone levels, liaising with the patient’s fertility specialist and providing information, advice and further instructions. The Early Pregnancy Care Nurse also liaises with patients around the time of their pregnancy scans or the time of a pregnancy loss.

The Melbourne IVF donor program has dedicated nurses to guide men and women through treatment who are accessing donor sperm, eggs, embryos or the surrogacy program.

The nurses are available seven days per week and begin their morning clinic before office hours at 7.30am for the convenience of patients.

Simone Cassar
Melbourne IVF, Nurse Unit Manager

Simone Cassar has more than nine years experience working in a variety of roles in nursing, neonatal care and midwifery, both in Australia and in the United Kingdom.

Since joining the nursing team at Melbourne IVF in 2006, Simone has gained knowledge and experience in assisting with Early Pregnancy Monitoring, Donor Nurse and Associate Nurse Unit Manager responsibilities.

In her current role of Nurse Unit Manager, Simone works closely with the nursing teams, fertility specialists, and department managers at all Melbourne IVF clinics to ensure that processes are in place for a high standard of nursing care, and that an efficient, personalised and caring patient service is delivered to women and their partners.

Prior to working at Melbourne IVF, Simone worked at the Alfred Hospital as a registered nurse before training in Midwifery where she worked at Mercy Hospital for Women for more than three years. In 2004 Simone moved to Edinburgh, Scotland where she worked in neonatal and general surgical nursing before returning to Australia in October 2006.