Jane Denton
Jane Denton was awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing in 2006 for her outstanding contribution to fertility nursing and genetics, and promotion of the nursing voice in these ethical debates.
Jane has had a far-reaching impact on the development of nursing in the specialty of assisted reproduction. One of the first nurses to work in this field, she was a contributor to the development of the UK’s first IVF programme. Colleagues believe that her knowledge and expertise, as well as her integrity, have contributed to the development of all aspects of fertility nursing, including infertility, genetics, and multiple births. Her insight and understanding have helped inform what are often controversial and complex scientific, moral and ethical issues related to reproductive technologies.
During her career she has inspired many nurses in this field; as nursing director of the Hallam Medical Centre she created, trained and led the first team of specialist fertility nurses, many of whom went on to hold advanced clinical roles. She has worked tirelessly to raise the profile of fertility nurses and has been instrumental in helping them develop their specialist practice. Her activities include extending the role to incorporate new clinical procedures, successfully lobbying for these to be fully incorporated in the nursing domain, through to providing guidelines for practice nurses in specialist units.
Jane was a founder member of the influential RCN Fertility Nurse Group that lobbied for the development of the current Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) Act and which developed the first education programmes for fertility nurses. During her term as Honorary Secretary, and subsequently as Chair, of the RCN Fertility Nurse Group, membership increased substantially and the profile, both of the RCN and of nursing in this field, increased nationally and internationally.
Jane has worked tirelessly to push forward the frontiers of fertility nursing. She has been at the forefront of many of the advances made and her contributions have had a positive impact on fertility nursing and on the standard of care received by clients. An accomplished speaker, she has fulfilled engagements worldwide on behalf of the HFEA, the RCN and the Multiple Births Foundation. She has published extensively on issues related to fertility nursing, and co-authored ‘Infertility: nursing and caring’ (1995), the first textbook for fertility nurses. She also contributed to the World Health Organization’s 2002 report on the scientific and ethical issues surrounding assisted reproductive techniques.
Her experience, knowledge and nurse leadership were recognised in 1992 when she became the first, and only, nurse appointed to the HFEA, which regulates and inspects all UK clinics providing IVF, donor insemination or the storage of eggs, sperm or embryos. In her 12 years of HFEA service she helped shape policy and regulation, developed and chaired regional open meetings and sat on working groups, including the Code of Practice Committee. She also created extensive networks with various professional bodies, represented the HFEA at national and international conferences, and acted as a spokesperson for the media on HFEA policies and decisions, regularly appearing on television and radio.
Jane has constantly striven to improve the training and professional development of fertility nurses and the care for couples with fertility problems. Her contribution to education has been extensive and currently she is working with the RCN to deliver university distance learning courses on fertility and infertility for practice and specialist nurses.
In her current role as Director of the Multiple Births Foundation, she has contributed to significant change in public and professional perception and attitudes towards multiple births. She continues to support and inspire nurses to work as part of a multi-professional team, to give the very best care to couples going through assisted reproduction and multiple births, as well as raising awareness and educating professionals about their special needs.