Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner

[htrn]

It has been a dream of mine to go to Fronteir to get my CNM, but I noticed on their website a different program for WHCNP. What exactly is the scope of practice for a WHCNP? Specifically, are they providing pre-natal care and delivering babies? What is the difference between a CNM and a WHCNP?

Thanks for the help.

[beckinben, CNM]

It has been a dream of mine to go to Fronteir to get my CNM, but I noticed on their website a different program for WHCNP. What exactly is the scope of practice for a WHCNP? Specifically, are they providing pre-natal care and delivering babies? What is the difference between a CNM and a WHCNP?

Thanks for the help.

CNMs and WHCNPs basically differ in one way - CNMs catch babies and WHCNPs don't. As part of the CNM program, you will do intrapartum care, including catching babies, along with prenatal/postpartum care, well-woman care, and primary care, and some do newborn care as well. WCHNPs can do prenatal/postpartum care, well-woman care, and primary care.

If I remember right - the WCHNPs in my program had 1 more credit of gyn coursework, and the CNMs had 2 credits of intrapartum and 1 credit of newborn management. But for most everything, we were in the same classes. Clinical hours were a little different - CNMs had more areas to cover.

Hope that helps.

[crabbynurse]

Just an FYI, I considered Frontier to become a CNM a few years ago. At that time you could do the CNM track and then with 3 more clinical hours be eligible for dual certification as a CNM and WHNP.