WHNP vs FNP

MandaRN94 · May 6, 2011

I had the same dilemma. I decided I really only want to do WHNP -and I also applied to the University of Cincinnati and USA but haven't heard back yet. Keep me posted if you hear from admissions. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and running to the mailbox everyday.

ChristineAdrianaRN, BSN, RN · May 6, 2011

If you know for sure you want to work with women exclusively and their unique health issues, I don't see why you shouldn't go for WHNP. I would think a WHNP would get a job like that over a FNP because they are more specialized. An FNP is SO general, working with both genders across the lifespan. If you know for sure what you want to do, and it's women's health, get the WHNP. You can always go back and get your cert for FNP afterwards if you feel you need it. Re: the primary care issue - you'll find a LOT of women actually use their GYN/WHNP as their primary care provider; I don't think you'll hurt for a job from that perspective.

sailornurse · May 7, 2011

if you know for sure you want to work with women exclusively and their unique health issues, i don't see why you shouldn't go for whnp. i would think a whnp would get a job like that over a fnp because they are more specialized. an fnp is so general, working with both genders across the lifespan. if you know for sure what you want to do, and it's women's health, get the whnp. you can always go back and get your cert for fnp afterwards if you feel you need it. re: the primary care issue - you'll find a lot women actually use their gyn/whnp as their primary care provider; i don't think you'll hurt for a job from that perspective.

i would have to disagree. as a fnp you can do women's health and if you can find a position doing just women'shealth, then great. however, fnp is more marketable and you never know what the job market will be in the future. i know 2 whnps who came back post-masters for fnp because they could not find jobs due to their limited population focus. it took them 4 semester full time (not just a certificate as the poster above alludes to) and no a whnp can not function as a primary care provider, but a fnp can as you can treat a variety of other conditions such as dm, htn, thyroid disease etc yeah cuz yeah, we are "so general"[i:mad:[/i] fnp's can specialize in only peds or other populations if they choose to. i know fnp's working in internal medicine, one in cardiology, 2 in the er,l 1 school base health center. i teach undergrads, work in a family practice/urgent care and just love it, i have lots of options. i just got a letter today, the hospice in town is looking for a np.

sailornurse, msn, fnp

ChristineAdrianaRN, BSN, RN · May 7, 2011

I'm not saying they are SUPPOSED to be PCPs, I'm saying that I've seen a lot of women don't have PCPs and use the GYN/WHNP for their PCP if they are generally healthy and just getting their yearly pap (we would refer them to an actual PCP though if we noticed issues outside of the GYN scope of practice). And by saying FNPs are so general I mean that you all typically focus/are trained to treat a much larger population group and larger spectrum of medical issues than WHNPs. It was not meant to be derogatory and I'm sorry you took it that way.

Gator Girl 2000 · May 7, 2011

and no a whnp can not function as a primary care provider, but a fnp can as you can treat a variety of other conditions such as dm, htn, thyroid disease etc yeah cuz yeah, we are "so general"[i:mad:[/i] sailornurse, msn, fnp

http://nurseweb.ucsf.edu/www/spec-mwf.htm

the women's health nurse practitioner

the women's health nurse practitioner (whnp) is a registered nurse who has completed advanced education with a focus on the primary health care needs of women across the life cycle, with emphasis on conditions unique to women from menarche through the remainder of their lives.

besides clinical care, whnps focus on health promotion, disease prevention, health education and counseling, and helping patients make wise health and lifestyle choices. program graduates earn a certificate as a whnp that enables them to be licensed as a whnp in the state of california.

http://www.nursing.emory.edu/admission/masters/specialities/womens_health_np%20.html

women's health nurse practitioner

the women’s health nurse practitioner (whnp) program prepares nurses to deliver primary care to women throughout the life span. the program is based on in-depth knowledge of theory, pathophysiology, research utilization, pharmacotherapeutics, and clinical decision-making skills. program emphasis is on the primary care of women, including reproductive-gynecologic health.

http://www.nursesource.org/womens.html

sailornurse · May 9, 2011

definition #2 - primary care practice

a primary care practice serves as the patient's first point of entry into the health care system and as the continuing focal point for all needed health care services. primary care practices provide patients with ready access to their own personal physician, or to an established back-up physician when the primary physician is not available.

primary care practices provide health promotion, disease prevention, health maintenance, counseling, patient education, diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses in a variety of health care settings (e.g., office, inpatient, critical care, long-term care, home care, day care, etc.).

primary care practices are organized to meet the needs of patients with undifferentiated problems, with the vast majority of patient concerns and needs being cared for in the primary care practice itself. primary care practices are generally located in the community of the patients, thereby facilitating access to health care while maintaining a wide variety of specialty and institutional consultative and referral relationships for specific care needs. the structure of the primary care practice may include a team of physicians and non-physician health professionals.

http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/policies/p/primarycare.html

key words: all needed health care services

specialists are not considered primary care providers. ob/gyn/(women's health), do not manage conditions such as htn/dm and focus on conditions of the reproductive system.

any school can say anything they want on their website. but the scope of practice by the board of nursing in each state is what determines what you can/can not do.

sailornurse, msn, fnp

sailornurse · May 9, 2011

(we would refer them to an actual pcp though if we noticed issues outside of the gyn scope of practice)

thanks for making my point, that whnp is not an "actual pcp". :lol2:

sailornurse, msn, fnp

btw-just who do you mean by "we". as an rn you can not refer patients.

Gator Girl 2000 · May 9, 2011

specialists are not considered primary care providers. ob/gyn/(women's health), do not manage conditions such as htn/dm and focus on conditions of the reproductive system.
any school can say anything they want on their website. but the scope of practice by the board of nursing in each state is what determines what you can/can not do.
sailornurse, msn, fnp

exactly. scope is determined by the bon of each state. please see below (just one example). there are a great number more.

"q: i am authorized to practice in a particular specialty area. i want to expand my scope of practice to include a second specialty area. (examples of this situation include but are not limited to: adult health expanding to include pediatrics, family practice expanding to include care of patients with complex psychiatric pathologies, and primary care expanding to include acute/critical care). can i do this by completing continuing education activities specific to the specialty and working with another advanced practice nurse authorized in that specialty or a physician? a: there are finite limits to expanding one's scope of practice without completing additional formal education and obtaining the requisite authorization to practice in the additional role and/or specialty from the bon. when incorporating a new patient care activity or procedure into one's individual scope of practice, the board expects the advanced practice nurse to verify that the activity or procedure is consistent with the professional scope of practice for the authorized role and specialty and permitted by laws and regulations in effect at the time. for example, a women's health nurse practitioner or nurse-midwife who wishes to incorporate performance of colposcopies in his/her practice may do so without obtaining an additional authorization to practice from the bon because this activity is consistent with the professional scope of practice for those roles."

http://www.bon.texas.gov/practice/apn-scopeofpractice.html

please also see the information from the florida bon below.....i've found that a state bon will at times detail that an np's education determines scope of practice (hence the information included in my prior post).

"64b9-4.009 functions of the advanced registered nurse.

all categories of advanced registered nurse practitioner may perform functions listed in section 464.012(3), f.s. the scope of practice for all categories of arnp's shall include those functions which the arnp has been educated to perform including the monitoring and altering of drug therapies, and initiation of appropriate therapies, according to the established protocol and consistent with the practice setting"

http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/nursing/info_practiceact.pdf

there is so much "out there" which contradicts what you've indicated in your two posts here. easily researched.

i hardly post on allnurses.....but i seriously detest misinformation. i just wanted to make sure folks reading this thread didn't leave it believing something so blatantly false.

Gator Girl 2000 · May 9, 2011

Some good nuggets (articles, laws, positions) here as well relating to CNMs (another advanced practice nurse providing care specifically for women):

http://www.midwife.org/siteFiles/legislative/Primary_care_policy_brief_07_09.pdf

ChristineAdrianaRN, BSN, RN · May 9, 2011

thanks for making my point, that whnp is not an "actual pcp".
sailornurse, msn, fnp
btw-just who do you mean by "we". as an rn you can not refer patients.

let's use our reading skills, now. i never said whnps were an actual pcp. my original post said many women use their whnp as their pcp. many healthy women only get their yearly paps and never go to a pcp unless gyn/whnp catches something that needs a pcp's attention.

we as in everyone in the office i worked in. i considered us a team, you know. i knew the pcps the doc preferred and would give the patients the names (at this office the ratio of the time the patient spent with me vs. the time spent with the doctor would be about 30-45:5 min). but it's still considered a referral from the doc, obviously, even though i would physically give the names.

sailornurse · May 16, 2011

exactly. scope is determined by the bon of each state. please see below (just one example). there are a great number more.

please also see the information from the florida bon below.....i've found that a state bon will at times detail that an np's education determines scope of practice (hence the information included in my prior post).
"64b9-4.009 functions of the advanced registered nurse.
all categories of advanced registered nurse practitioner may perform functions listed in section 464.012(3), f.s. the scope of practice for all categories of arnp’s shall include those functions which the arnp has been educated to perform including the monitoring and altering of drug therapies, and initiation of appropriate therapies, according to the established protocol and consistent with the practice setting"
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/nursing/info_practiceact.pdf

there is so much "out there" which contradicts what you've indicated in your two posts here. easily researched.
i hardly post on allnurses.....but i seriously detest misinformation. i just wanted to make sure folks reading this thread didn't leave it believing something so blatantly false.

i have not contradicted myself in any posting. interesting that you quote the florida bon. correct me if i am wrong but in florida do nurse practitioners have to have a supervising/collaborating physician? can np's in florida write a prescription for narcotics? i am under the impression you must have a supervising physician and can not write a narcotic script in florida. if that is the case, it is difficult to truly function as a primary care provider in florida due to these limitations. perfect example of the bon differences in each state. here in new mexico, np's have independent practice, can bill under own name, can set up your own practice without any physician involvement and fnp can truly be considered a primary care provider.sailornurse, msn, fnp