Women Health Nurse Practitioners (WHNPs): Roles, Education, and Competencies

Subject: Nursing
Pages: 2
Words: 619
Reading time:
3 min
Study level: Bachelor

The Selected APN Role and Competencies

Women Health Nurse Practitioners (WHNPs) are qualified healthcare workers who adhere to the Nursing Practice Act’s standards of care in the states and have valid licenses and practice. They handle the overall non-gynecological requirements of women in primary healthcare, emphasizing general and integrated gynecological, sexual, obstetric, and reproductive health (Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, 2020).

However, it is necessary to mention that WHNPs do not offer installation-specific treatment. In addition to private offices, community health centers, health departments, hospital-based care centers, family planning clinics, and through telemedicine, WHNPs offer medical treatment in several locations.

To practice in the many highly concentrated communities they target, WHNPs have a strong educational foundation. WHNPS have a solid academic basis that qualifies them for specialized assignments that will advance practice. Role-based and community-based competencies should be the foundation for training in a particular practice field (Niebruegge et al., 2019).

By various methods, such as more schooling, supervised practice, and specific mentor jobs, one can acquire the additional information, skills, and abilities necessary to satisfy the requisite competencies in the specialty (Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, 2020). Sexual assault nurse forensics, colposcopes, diagnostic medical sonographer, and advanced genetics clinical nurse are just a few of the general areas of expertise for WHNPs (Cappiello & Boardman, 2022). When it is feasible, WHNP staff who work in specialist fields are urged to obtain certification in those fields.

WHNPs work with other medical staff members to deliver treatment independently and collaboratively. A qualified individual must undergo a continual knowledge evaluation every three years to maintain their WHNP certification (Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, 2020). To match doctors in other fields, nurse practitioners now earn 100% of Medicare reimbursement, up from 85% previously (Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, 2020). Moreover, WHNPs take the lead in enhancing women’s health and outcomes in clinical settings, healthcare systems, and communities. This enables them to cover as much population as possible to ensure the best healthcare delivery.

Annotated Summaries Related to the Selected APN Major Role and Core Competency

Did I Learn Enough to Practice?

There is a rich literature corpus on the responsibilities and competencies of WHNPs. For this report, three pieces of literature were selected. First of all, Cappiello & Boardman’s (2022) article looks at how nurse practitioners see their education and ability to provide various services, including WHNP professional obligations. In essence, this demonstrates how teaching and clinical practice ought to form the core of WHNP education.

Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner

Secondly, “Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner: Guidelines for Practice and Education,” a book designed especially for the WHNP audience. This book explains what a WHNP is and what entry-level practical competencies are and offers advice to educators on creating WHNP academic programs. It attempts to explain the function of WHNP, where it fits into the current healthcare system, as well as some of its features and future possibilities (Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, 2020). This publication may also be viewed as a resource for WHNP students, other medical professionals, and employers interested in learning more about the WHNP’s position and abilities.

The Future of Population Medicine

Lastly, the Niebruegge et al. (2019) article researches the competencies of WHNPs when working with specific populations. Before working with unique populations, nurse practitioners and physician assistants must have the necessary educational background and competencies, according to the authors (Niebruegge et al., 2019). In light of their various professional and academic viewpoints, they also talked about the present and future duties of the WHNP. The authors conclude that they can increase access to healthcare by working with doctors and other medical specialists (Niebrueggeet al., 2019). This will encourage the expansion of medical services and the healthcare field.

References

Cappiello, J. D., & Boardman, M. B. (2022). Did I learn enough to practice? Reflections of new nurse practitioner graduates in providing sexual and reproductive health care. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 34(1), 109–118. Web.

Niebruegge, B., Holbrook, J. M., Vernon, C., Gratton, C., & Maric, A. (2019). The future of population medicine: investigating the role of advanced practice providers and simulation education in special patient populations. Disease-a-Month, 65(7), 221–244. Web.

Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health. (2020). Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner: Guidelines for practice and education. NPWH Publishing.​