Graduate Certificate Fertility Ultrasound
Course Features
-Confers competence to practice ultrasound in the management of the patient with infertility.
-Provides both theoretical and practical training, with a significant emphasis on clinical experience.
-Facilitates busy professionals by delivering the majority of lectures through an e-learning structure.
Course Overview
This course equips participants with the skills necessary to understand the indications for ultrasound examinations, perform scans safely and competently, report on scan findings in the clinical context and to know when to refer patients for a more detailed assessment.
Who Should Take This Course?
This programme is targeted towards:
Nurses and Midwives working in the area of fertility management and treatment
Radiographers working in the area of fertility management and treatment
Doctors specialising in the area of fertility management and treatment
All applicants must be actively scanning in order to be considered for this programme
What Will I Learn?
Course Description
The programme will provide both theoretical and practical training, with a significant emphasis on clinical experience, and will cover all the main aspects of pelvic, fertility and early pregnancy ultrasound (up to 8 completed weeks of gestation).
The course aims to equip practitioners working with infertile patients with a level of competence in ultrasound scanning that will enable them to understand the indications for ultrasound examinations, perform scans safely and competently, report on scan findings in the clinical context and know when to refer patients for a more detailed assessment.
Topics covered include image optimization, anatomy, physiology and pathology, fertility management focussing on the role of ultrasound in the investigation of fertility problems, and monitoring of women undergoing treatment, protocols and guidelines, communication, ethical and social implications. Ultrasound assessment of both normal and abnormal early pregnancy is also included.
How/Where Do I Learn?
The provision of the majority of the lectures is through an e-learning structure which allows students to access the course material at the most convenient and flexible time for them. There will also be 4 study days between January and May (compulsory attendance) at UCD. Dates for these will be given on acceptance of application.
There is a major emphasis on students achieving a high level of expertise in clinical practice and participants will gain their clinical experience in their own department, which will allow them to negotiate the most suitable arrangements within each individual workplace.
To ensure this is achieved students must arrange a clinical placement and provide evidence of an agreement to spend a minimum of 300 hours practicing ultrasound in a fertility clinic while undertaking this programme.