Women's Health Nurse Practitioners being phased out?

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Hello, 

I am determining wether or not I want to go back to school for either Family Nurse NP or Women's Health NP. I live in California and I noticed there are not as many WHNP programs as there are FNP.  I am Labor & Delivery nurse and would like to work in Women's Health such as GYN.

I'm hearing rumors that it is better to get into FNP because there are more "job opportunities". However, I don't see how that would help me in my goal to work in GYN considering that is not the population I want to work in. Does anybody have any information on this?

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Specializes in Mother Baby & pre-hospital EMS.

I too, have noticed there are way more FNP programs than WHNP.

I personally feel like I would go for WHNP because it matches more with your goals. Perhaps if you feel later you want to widen your scope of practice, you could add on a FNP post-grad program at a later time. ?

(Will be curious to hear from other folks. I was in the same boat - that is, I saw a lot of nurses getting their FNP but working in solely peds or women's health type areas.)

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Hi! 

Thanks for your input! I just received acceptance to two WHNP programs but panicked because I did not apply to any FNP. 

In case you are in the same boat as I am, I spoke to two very wise nurses and this is what they told me: 

My nurse educator urged me to follow my passion because she has a good friend that went for FNP instead of what she really wanted which was Pediatric NP and said that she always looked back and wished she did it. 

A senior L&D RN told me that I was in a good position ( since I am not in a rush to leave L&D bedside nursing yet) to go to school for what I want because I am in the position to have a good paying job right now and the luxury to wait for the right job to come up. 

Are you planning on going for your NP as well?

 

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Specializes in Mother Baby & pre-hospital EMS.

You're welcome - and congratulations!

Oooh, thank you for the tips. They are validating. I am in no rush to leave bedside myself (enjoying Mother Baby).

As far as going for my NP, I go back and forth. I'm satisfied in my jobs, but I often wonder what if..... I went halfway through a CNM program several years ago but withdrew/was dismissed due to grades. At the time I was also burned out from a non-OB bedside job that I strongly disliked.

I am not sure if I want to try again for my MSN. I thought about WHNP for a while, too. Let's say I am not closing that door just yet. ?  (Sorry for the long-winded answer!)

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That's great & I'm happy for you. I can relate, Im happy in OB and that's why I want to build on it instead of steering in a totally opposite direction. 

Take care & thanks for your input!

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Update in case anyone was curious, I spoke to an NP in a Women's Health clinic from a large hospital ( in which I work) and she said the rumor was absolutely not true! So happy to report!

 

 

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