WHCNP vs CNM

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What's the difference between a Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner and a Certified Nurse Midwife in terms of what they do? Is a WHCNP an RN with a certificate and a CNM a more advanced nurse or APRN with a Master's degree? I would assume that the focus on birth would be the major, if not only, difference since CNMs do women health care.

Thanks.

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They are both Advanced Practice RN Certifications, each requires an MSN.

CNMs concentrate on taking care of pregnant women and deliviering babies.

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And just to understand, WHCNPs concentrate on . . .? Curious, if you have an MSN can you be certified to do both?

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And just to understand, WHCNPs concentrate on . . .? Curious, if you have an MSN can you be certified to do both?

They are two completely separate tracks. WHCNPs normally do not get delivery privileges at a hospital or clinic. CNMs do. Do go for the CNM certification, most programs require that you have two years of labor and delivery experience.........WHCNPs do not have that requirement.

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Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN offers programs in both areas, they are very helpful if you have questions about either program:

http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/nursing/msn/womenhnpq.html

http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/nursing/msn/nursmidwq.html

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Many thanks JAHJF, that's what I was looking for. It didn't occur to me to check decriptions at schools for some reason. Thanks.

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:) Your welcome :)

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JAHJF, to a lesser degree, so have I but I know I want to help with births and CNMs can do other women health care so I, obviously, decided for that.

Thanks for your help.

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Specializes in OB, lactation.

Just want to clarify that CNM's do well-woman care (paps, birth control, etc.) as well as pregnancy and delivery. I wasn't sure if that was clear from reading above, maybe I just didn't catch it.

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Specializes in Educator.

the University of Pennsylvania offers a masters with BOTH certifications- if you opt for the cnm you will also graduate with the whnp, or you can just do the whnp. i understnad there a few other programs that offer a joint degree like this (fulltime, 18 months at penn) but i don't know who they are- does anyone?

http://www.nursing.upenn.edu

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Specializes in OB, lactation.
the university of pennsylvania offers a masters with BOTH certifications- if you opt for the cnm you will also graduate with the whnp, or you can just do the whnp. i understnad there a few other programs that offer a joint degree like this (fulltime, 18 months at penn) but i don't know who they are- does anyone?

http://www.nursing.upenn.edu

This isn't quite the same, but Emory has a "Family Nurse Midwife" which combines FNP and CNM (I think is totally cool.. you can keep caring for the baby after it's born!!)... I don't know if they combine WHNP & CNM.

What do WHNP's do that CNM's don't do? I mean, I know CNM's do pregnancy/delivery, but do WHNP's do any gynecological procedures that CNM's can't do? I sort of thought WHNP was CNM minus the pregnancy/delivery stuff.

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Just want to clarify that CNM's do well-woman care (paps, birth control, etc.) as well as pregnancy and delivery. I wasn't sure if that was clear from reading above, maybe I just didn't catch it.

I was going to clarify as well, but you said it best. A CNM can do anything a WHNP can do... but a WHNP can't deliver babies.

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