History of FNA
The first Australian IVF program was set up in 1971 in Melbourne by Carl Wood, John Leeton, Alan Trounson and others who were supported by a team of nurses whose additional roles were managing donor sperm programs and assisting with early research studies.
The 80’s saw great progress with the birth of the first Australian IVF baby in 1980, and the formation of the FSA with the first annual meeting in 1982, yet there was still little formal communication or networking between ART nurses.
In 1990, the “Nurses Special Interest Group” (NSIG) was created and had their inaugural meeting at the FSA conference in Perth. This committee, comprised of a representative from each state with Heather Denholm as Chairperson, offered support to assist ART nurses to attend conferences and other educational activities, and to engage in research.
In 1997, a vote was taken at the NSIG nurses workshop to formalize the name to ‘Fertility Nurses of Australasia” (FNA).
The FNA has continued to progress from strength to strength in both its membership and the role it has played in promoting and developing the status of ART nurses in Australia and New Zealand.
It continues to offer support to nurses working in the field of infertility enabling them to network with their peers and gain access to education. Whilst this function has undoubtedly resulted in greater standards of care to our patients, it is timely to reflect on the voluntary nature of the representative roles and ponder our commitment to on-going professional organisations.