AbstractAssisted Reproductive Technology, despite poor outcomes in the treatment of infertility, is poised to take on a new supplementary role to genetic engineering. As an extreme example of medical/reductionist philosophy it is diametrically opposed to the emerging commitment to holism within the nursing profession. Nurses in Australia have been noticeably absent from the debate, research and decision making that has occurred about this technology, yet the implications for professional practice are far-reaching.