A career as a Woman’s Health Nurse Practitioner involves providing only women with a full list of medical and healthcare solutions although most of the care provided focuses on gynecological and reproductive needs. Being able to offer healthcare to women by a woman is very gratifying, a service that for millions of women makes a trip to the doctor more comfortable.
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Career, Role of a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
As a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, services include promotion of overall good health, prevention of disease, and management of both acute and chronic health issues. In many cases, patients will find a nurse of this type they like while at a very young age and remain with that practitioner throughout life. Since these nurses work in various healthcare environments to include a standard physician’s office, hospital, long-term care facility, college clinics, community care centers, and others, they have the opportunity to reach a large number of women needing medical care.
Because of the extensive education and training a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner provides, her services are almost equal to that of a doctor. For this reason, it is common to find these nurses with other healthcare nurses under their direction. The list of services provided is long but a few examples include managing cases of sexually transmitted diseases, assisting with family planning, perimenopause and menopause management, personalized care of women dealing with serious health issues such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, and diabetes, among others, providing prenatal and postpartum care, and lending care but also support to women having problems associated with alcohol, drug, and physical abuse.
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Educational Requirements
As mentioned, because of the comprehensive medical care provided by a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, additional education requirements must be met. For starters, this person must be a Registered Nurse, whether attained through a two-year Associate’s degree or a two to three-year hospital diploma and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. In addition to this, this type of nurse must have a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. If preferred, a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner can secure State Board of Nursing recognition, which helps solidify her expertise.
Now, for a Registered Nurse interested in advancing to a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner who has already earned a Master’s degree, then a one or two-year post-Master’s certification comprised of specialty coursework would be needed. Keep in mind that the state certification is not mandatory for all states but for someone seeking this type of career in a state where it is required, it could be secured through the National Certification Corporation, helping improve career opportunities and better pay.
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Salaries
Regarding earning potential for a nurse at this level, on average a person could expect to earn as much as $85,000 a year although on average, salary is around $68,000. Certain factors would made a difference in the actual amount a person could make such as geographic location for practicing, the number of years of experience, certifications, and any additional advanced training and/or education.
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Opportunities
Without doubt, demand for qualified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners is growing. For one thing, with the cost of seeing a conventional doctor becoming so expensive and the fact that these specialty nurses are qualified to perform many of the same services, more and more women are choosing the Practitioner route. In addition, a growing trend is being seen in urgent care, walk-in, and outpatient care centers, which some doctors prefer not to work due to pay and hours. Because of this, a great opportunity has been opened for nurses on this level, meaning to accommodate the number of female patients that a large volume of Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners will be needed over the next 10 years.
