What to expect from SG docs and nurses?

[Anonymous]

I recently completed my 2nd IUI at SG and am wondering what is typical for the type of care that you receive from your doctor and nurse. I've been underwhelmed by the care that I've received as a patient so far but with the large number of patients, I'm guessing that it is pretty typical which seems sad. I've only seen my doc for one ultrasound and 2 different docs did the IUI. I liked their manner better than my doc so I'm not complaining although it wasn't explained that I'd see so many different docs for each appointment. My nurse has been confused or left out information on more than one occasion but always returns calls promptly. Am I crazy to think that I'd hear something from a doc or nurse at some point in the cycle either leading up to or following an IUI? I've requested to speak to a nurse after each ultrasound to go over things and answer questions. Do you have any other suggestions for receiving a little more personalized care from SG? It seems that everyone I talk to has no idea what is going on (ie: referencing meds I'm not on or an incorrect number of IUI's).

I'm guessing I'll hear that this is the price of going with a large practice rather than a smaller office. I'm not interested at changing docs at this point, just looking for personal experience of the level of care you received or advice for advocating for more personalized attention.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I was a patient at SG for 4 IUI cycles and 1 IVF. I conceived in October - so that was a huge plus. But I would say that the majority of interaction I had was with my nurse coordinator (who seemed to know my meds and history very well), not my primary doctor. I had different doctors for each of my IUIs and the IVF. I found that everyone was perfectly happy to answer all of my questions, but it was not a super personal experience and most doctors and nurses didn't know the specifics of my particular protocol unless they referred to my chart. I did feel like a number.

In terms of what to expect during the cycles, I spoke with my nurse coordinator in the time leading up to a cycle, but I usually initiated the calls with the exception of the calls she made with my monitoring results. My nurse did not necessarily call after the procedure unless I called with question. In sum, I found my nurse very responsive, but I had to initiate most of the non-monitoring/test result calls.

My advice would be to be as proactive as possible to get information you need to feel comfortable; do not wait for SG to reach out to you. Also, I used e-mail to correspond with my nurse and found that was helpful (waiting by my phone for her return call was often stressful and/or not possible when I was in meetings). Also, if you aren't happy with a nurse, you can change. I started my IVF cycle with a nurse who was very nice but didn't return calls promptly and was constantly out of the office for days at a time. I realized I needed someone during my IVF cycle who was more responsive and available, and asked to change nurses. Jennifer Wood (think that's her name) is the nurse supervisor and was very understanding when I asked to switch nurses.

From what I understand, smaller practices are more personalized and high touch. On the other hand, I liked the fact that SG was had several offices and I could go between their Rockville and DC office depending on my schedule.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

[Anonymous]

I was with a solo practitioner before SG and, while it was a different experience for sure, I was actually happy to switch and have so many different people involved with my care. I felt like an extra set of eyes looking at things was good and the feedback I got from different docs during my cycle actually helped me make decisions on how I wanted to proceed during a cycle (in one case, convert to IUI or go through with the IVF egg retrieval).

I am a very personable person and went out of my way to build a rapport with my nurse and some of the staff, which, in turn, never made me feel like a number. I can't say that my nurse did things right or perfectly 100% of the time, but I don't either so I always double checked drug orders, called back if I didn't understand something, and even called my RE if an answer my nurse gave me didn't feel right or I simply didn't understand. They definitely don't hold your hand, but I didn't expect it and definitely stayed on top of things myself.

I also didn't hear from my nurse except for monitoring results. And, I only spoke to my RE when he was doing monitoring, when I had a negative IVF cycle, or when I went for a follow-up appt. I had the same experience at another large clinic as well, so I really do think it's the norm for them to reach out only with results or a problem. Otherwise, communications are initiated by the patient. Best of luck to you!!

[Anonymous]

For people who said their nurse only called on monitoring days, during a cycle most days are monitoring days. DId you expect calls to check in while waiting for your period or during the 2WW? My RE at SG (Widra) called once during each 2WW to debrief about that cycle but otherwise I only talked to him if I had a question and called him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For people who said their nurse only called on monitoring days, during a cycle most days are monitoring days. DId you expect calls to check in while waiting for your period or during the 2WW? My RE at SG (Widra) called once during each 2WW to debrief about that cycle but otherwise I only talked to him if I had a question and called him.

I am one of the PPs. I never expected calls from my nurse except when I had been to the office for monitoring. My RE called once during a 2ww to wish me well, but that was after several cycles with him. Otherwise, I only talked to him at the end of a cycle.

[Anonymous]

I am one of the PPs and no, I did not expect calls outside of my monitoring days (I also had Widra, btw). If I wanted to get answers to questions or was concerned about something I had to be proactive and call my nurse or RE. And I did not hear anything during my 2ww. My point being that my interaction with the nurses and REs is fairly transactional (although everyone was very nice); if you want more attention or need additional support, you need to reach out to them.