Women's Health Nurse Practitioner

ExpatHopeful, LPN, LVN · Sep 24, 2008

Hey Snappz11,

I'm not a WHNP (although I hope to be) but I worked with some for a year at an outpatient reproductive health clinic. The NPs I worked with were full time or part time and worked 9-5 or 11-7. One or two worked the occasional Saturday. They saw patients for well woman exams, infection tests/exams, breast exams and IUD insertions. They didn't do any OB work other than to give pre-natal advice/counselling to women who discovered they were pregnant at their visit or to do post-partum visits for women who wanted back on birth control. Most of their work involved health checks, contraception prescribing/problems and infection diagnosis/treatment. I set up rooms for them and helped with their visits because we were super busy and that way they could finish up with one patient and go right ahead with the next one as soon as they were done with charting. On the whole they seemed very happy with what they were doing.

Hope that paints of picture of one possible role for a WHNP.

ANPFNPGNP · Sep 25, 2008

Hi All-
Can someone please tell me what it is like being a women's health nurse practitioner? How involved can you be with OB? What is a typical day at work like (either in hospital or private practice)? Do you find your job both rewarding and enjoyable?

I've heard that some WHNP programs are now covering primary care for women and not just the OB/GYN part. Interesting...

jer_sd · Sep 25, 2008

All WHNP programs should teach primary care, it is on their board exam. Approximate breakdown of the exam is:

physical assesment diagnostic evaluation-10%

Primary care 10%

GYN 40%

OB 30%

Pharm 10%

When I was in my WHNP program they stated they included primary care since some women use their gyn provider as point of entry to all health care services.

Jeremy

danceluver · Jan 23, 2012

how much ob does a whnp program cover? In reality how many practices hire whnp to help see ob patients (if the practice does not hire cnm)?