How To Become A Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse with an advanced degree and the certification to work more independently than a bachelor’s level nurse. Nurse practitioners are able to assume many of the same duties and responsibilities that a doctor can; they may have their own private practices; they may work in hospitals or public health facilities; or they may partner with physicians in a family practice. Like doctors, nurse practitioners have the opportunity to specialize, and a career as a women’s health nurse practitioner, or a WHNP, can be a lucrative and rewarding route to take.
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs
If you are considering a career as a women’s health nurse practitioner, you will want to understand the education and training requirements before beginning to pursue your goals. A registered nurse who already holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing will need to enroll in a master’s of nursing program. The first few semesters will involve general nursing classes; then you will have the opportunity to begin taking classes in your choice of Nurse Practitioner Specialialties. If you do not yet have your bachelor’s degree, or your degree is not in nursing, but you are working as a nurse, you will be eligible for a bridge program that will allow you to expedite the process of achieving your advanced degree.
There are programs that are available online for employed nurses, and programs that take place in traditional classrooms. Both require a certain amount of practical work experience hours before you can sit for your certification exam. If your goal is a career in women’s health, it is important that the practical experience you complete be in one or more areas of this specialization.
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Career Options
Once you have chosen a career as a women’s health nurse practitioner, you will still need to hone down your area of specialization. This is a vast field, and nursing services are required in many areas. For example, you may choose to pursue a career as a certified midwife, working with women in the birthing area of a hospital or medical center. Other women’s health nurse practitioners choose gynecology and obstetrics, and may even set up their own private practice, performing annual exams, prescribing birth control and medications, ordering necessary tests, and seeing women through their pregnancies from beginning to end.
Other opportunities exist for women’s health nurse practitioners in oncology departments. Patients who have been diagnosed with cancer are best served by medical professionals who specialize in the kinds of cancer with which they are afflicted. A nurse practitioner can specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of those cancers that affect women specifically, including breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer.
Home health care is another promising path for a nurse practitioner specializing in women’s health. A Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner who works specifically with geriatric patients and offers home health care can provide respectful, compassionate care to patients who are generally home bound. Geriatric women’s health nurse practitioners are also sought after in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, where they can offer ongoing care to female residents in a familiar, comfortable environment.
The fact is that anywhere you might find a need for a physician with a specialization in women’s health, you can now find a demand for nurse practitioners with the same specialty. There are employment opportunities for these practitioners in public and private healthcare settings; in nursing homes; even in jails and drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers.
The Job Outlook For Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners
The overall job outlook for nurse practitioners, especially those specializing in women’s health is very promising. As the cost of health care continues to rise, nurse practitioners are able to offer stellar medical care at a fraction of the cost of a physician. This saves money for the patient, the insurance company, and the practice you are serving. For this reason, the demand for nurse practitioners has grown over the past ten years, and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners predicts that this demand will continue to grow over the next decade and beyond.
The demand for women’s health nurse practitioners, specifically, has grown exponentially. There are many medical needs that are specific to women, including gynecological health, pregnancy, women’s cancers, menopause, and more. At this time, the number of women in the country is slightly higher than the number of men, and on average, women tend to live longer than men do, causing a greater need for medical professionals with a sound understanding of women’s health needs and how best to meet those needs.
The average salary for women’s health nurse practitioners ranges from $49,630 to $88,492, depending largely on whether you choose to seek work in public health and non profit organizations or in a for profit facility or private practice. These numbers are also expected to continue to increase over the next decade, to match the increasing demand in the workplace.