Erika Rubant, MSN, WHNP-C

• Job: Third-party reproduction coordinator and nurse practitioner, Georgia Reproductive Specialists, Atlanta

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BARRY WILLIAMS / Special

Nurse practitioner Erika Rubant is the third-party reproduction coordinator at Georgia Reproductive Specialists. ‘It’s so rewarding to know that you’ve helped in the process of blessing another baby with amazing parents,’ she said.

• What I do: “In a nutshell, our practice helps couples with infertility problems achieve pregnancy through diagnostic studies and treatment. I counsel couples on their options, including finding an egg or sperm donor, a gestational carrier or an embryo that has been placed for adoption.

“I recruit and screen anonymous egg-donor candidates, match recipients with donors, educate all parties about the process, and assist with the screenings, exams and procedures involved.

“A third part of my job is to work with donors who would like to anonymously donate some of their embryos for adoption, so that another couple can experience being parents. This is a wonderful gift.”

• What got me interested in this: “I have always been interested in women’s health and worked in hospital labor and delivery and OB-GYN office settings previously. A friend told me about this job.

“Working with couples who are experiencing infertility — something that affects your whole life and marriage — requires counseling and educating as well as nursing skills. I came and fell in love with infertility practice, which is always changing and challenging.”

• Best part of my job: “At first, couples are often angry and hurting. Creating a baby should be easy and fun, but for them it has become an agonizing ordeal. I’m able to tell them about options they may not have considered or heard about. We are 60 percent successful with egg donation, but few people know about that route. I love seeing the hope come back in their eyes.

“Of course, the other ‘best part’ is calling a patient with the news that she is pregnant, standing outside a patient’s room as she tells me about hearing her baby’s heartbeat, or kissing the baby of a former patient. It’s so rewarding to know that you’ve helped in the process of blessing another baby with amazing parents.”

• Most challenging part: “The paperwork! The FDA, as it should, has strict regulations regarding donated tissue. It’s a lot of work to keep current with the latest SOPs (standard operating procedures) and make sure all the forms are filled out.”

• What people don’t know about my job: “Everyone here is a jack of all trades. We all clean dirty instruments, stock bathrooms or make copies if that is what is needed for our patients. There is no ‘That’s not my job description.’ “

• What keeps me going: “I’m able to offer options that may help, and my work with our egg donors and gestational carriers is so rewarding. It’s harder to recruit egg donors, because of the injections and the egg-retrieval procedure. The women who do it are very special people.”

• Preparation needed for this job: “You need to be a registered nurse, and it’s a plus to have a background in women’s health. As a nurse practitioner, I’m involved in more aspects of clinical care. You need a passion for the work and a sensitivity to your patients’ needs.”

• Salary range in Georgia: $50,000 to $70,000

— By Laura Raines, Pulse editor. Got an interesting job that you love? E-mail your story to pulseeditor@ajc.com.