What Is a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner?

Women's health nurse practitioners (WHNPs) are primary care providers focused on women's health: gynecology, obstetrics, and reproductive care. They evaluate patients, diagnose illness, prescribe medication, and treat conditions, much like physicians. Demand is strong. The BLS projects roughly 40% growth for nurse practitioners through 2034, one of the fastest rates of any occupation.

At a glance

What you'll do: provide healthcare to women of all ages, often as their main provider.

Degree: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).

Certification: Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner (WHNP-BC).

Median annual salary: $129,210 (nurse practitioners, BLS May 2024).

How to become a WHNP

Many people see nurse practitioners by preference, for convenience, or because their area is short on physicians. The role, as WHNP and Texas Woman's University professor Rachelle Nurse describes it, is to assess, build a plan of care, diagnose, treat, and prescribe.

Start with a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Some NP programs accept an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) with extra prerequisites. You'll also need your RN license, earned after finishing an accredited program and passing the NCLEX.

Next, complete a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), which combines coursework and clinical hours. Depending on the school, that takes 18 months to three years. During the program you'll pick a specialty, in this case women's health, and graduate with the skill set to practice in obstetrics and gynecology.

The field is moving toward requiring a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), but a master's is still the norm.

What WHNPs do

WHNPs provide evidence-based care for women and people across gender identities, and sometimes for their families. The work centers on obstetric and gynecological care but can extend into areas like infertility and plastic surgery. Unlike many nursing roles, WHNPs prescribe medication, such as antibiotics for a urinary tract infection.

Their duties span:

• Gynecological exams
• Ultrasounds
• Colposcopies and biopsies
• Breast exams
• Fertility evaluation
• Prenatal and postnatal care
• Menopausal care
• Contraceptive and family planning care

WHNPs care for patients throughout their lives, which is part of the appeal. As Jennifer Woo, a certified nurse-midwife and WHNP who teaches at Texas Woman's University, puts it, the continuity of care, and caring for families and communities along with the individual, is one of the best parts of the job.

Licenses and certifications

You'll need your Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) license to qualify for the WHNP exam. Then pass the WHNP exam from the National Certification Corporation (NCC), a computer-based test covering gynecology, obstetrics, pharmacology, and primary care. Passing earns you the WHNP-BC certification.

You don't need more certifications to practice, but a few can advance your career:

Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS), awarded by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Useful for WHNPs who use sonography regularly, especially in rural clinics far from imaging centers.

Surgical First Assist, awarded by the National Institute of First Assisting or the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting. Useful for WHNPs in inpatient settings who want to assist in procedures like cesarean sections. Woo calls it a highly marketable skill.

Where you'll work

WHNPs most often work in group or individual medical offices. Other settings include:

• Their own or shared practices
• Healthcare organizations and hospitals
• Specialty clinics like fertility or OB/GYN
• Nonprofit and public family planning organizations

How the work breaks down depends on the setting. Faculty WHNPs may spend most of their clinical time seeing patients directly, while others spend more time on administration or managing staff. Many WHNPs also see patients via telehealth for concerns that can be handled remotely.

Salary

Nurse practitioners earn a median of $129,210 a year (BLS, May 2024), across all NP specialties. WHNP pay is generally in line with other NPs but varies by geography and employer. Hospital-based WHNPs tend to earn more than those in outpatient settings.

WHNPs who already have relevant experience, such as years on a labor and delivery floor, start out earning more than someone whose hands-on time is limited to clinicals. Extra certifications can also lift your pay. A surgical first assist who can support C-sections, for example, will likely see that reflected in income.

Career outlook

The BLS projects roughly 40% growth in demand for nurse practitioners through 2034, among the fastest of any occupation. The reason is simple: the need for women's healthcare outpaces the supply of providers, and many women lack access to primary and reproductive care because there aren't enough physicians, including OB/GYNs, in parts of the country.

Hiring a WHNP makes sense for healthcare settings. The training is shorter than the path to becoming an OB/GYN, so WHNPs are ready for work sooner, and their salaries are lower than an OB/GYN's, which helps organizations with tight budgets.

WHNP training also goes deeper than a family nurse practitioner's, so WHNPs can fill access gaps and care for higher-risk patients. Demand runs especially high in rural areas and communities with high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity.

Resources

American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP): a community and advocacy organization for NPs, including WHNPs.

Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health (NPWH): a professional organization specific to WHNPs that advocates for gender health equity and provides continuing education.