Compare 10+ Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) Programs – Find the Best School for You

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), APRN programs may prepare students for careers (PDF, 232 KB) as a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), certified nurse-midwife (CNM), clinical nurse specialist (CNS) or certified nurse practitioner (CNP). These programs, accredited by the AACN, must also prepare students to work with specific populations, such as women.

Generally, WHNP programs will meet the AACN requirements for nurse practitioner programs (PDF, 727 KB). Some of these standards require:

• The director or coordinator of the nurse practitioner program is nationally certified as a nurse practitioner.
• Admission criteria set for the program reflects the input of the nurse practitioner faculty.
• The development, evaluation and revision of the curriculum involves the input from nurse practitioner faculty.
• The institution where the program is located must support the development, management and evaluation of resource, facility and service needs.
• The preparation and expertise of the program’s faculty must adequately support the role development and clinical management courses for nurse practitioner practice.

The AACN holds thorough standards for nurse practitioner programs and is the parent organization to the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which implements standards for CCNE accreditation of nursing programs. Some states may require graduation from accredited programs for nursing licensure.

The length of women’s health nurse practitioner programs will vary depending upon the degree program. Students with a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) who enroll full-time may generally expect to spend 18 to 24 months earning their master’s of science in nursing WHNP degree. The exact timeline will depend on the individual student’s plans.

Online Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs

For nursing students who would prefer not to participate in an on-campus program, online programs can provide a flexible alternative.

While searching for an online program, you may want to determine which program features you care about most. A few examples include live classes, clinical hour support teams for online students, career services and opportunities to network with your classmates.

Several schools offer online programs that are similar to their on-campus programs, enabling students to get a degree from a school they know and trust without relocating. Nurse practitioner online programs are high-quality options for students looking to progress into a career and become a women’s health nurse practitioner.

WHNP Coursework and Clinical Experience

Women’s health nurse practitioner education programs are designed to meet the requirements of the NCC certification exam while providing an opportunity for the student to specialize in a particular area of women’s health.

According to the NCC’s WHNP Candidate Guide (PDF, 539 KB), examinees from women’s health nurse practitioner education programs should be able to obtain a gynecologic history from their patients, identify gynecological health issues and provide management and education support for family planning, fertility control and prenatal and postpartum care.

The two basic components of women’s health nurse practitioner education programs are coursework and a clinical preceptorship. The coursework will vary depending on the chosen specialty, but the core classes generally include advanced physiology, advanced pharmacology and advanced health screening. Other coursework might cover topics such as research fundamentals, statistics, ethics and women’s health issues. Students should be prepared to complete 40 to 60 credits for a master’s of science in nursing (MSN) degree like this.

The clinical components of the curricula also vary according to students’ preferences, but the main requirement is that any preceptorship provides the student with training specific to their chosen specialty, such as an OB/GYN nurse or a midwife. The amount of hours and the type of work required to satisfy the clinical component of the curriculum also varies by institution. The NCC does not have a minimum requirement of hours for the women’s health nurse practitioner certification.

Career Pathways for WHNPs

Women’s health nurse practitioners serve as primary care providers for women of all ages by assessing a woman’s health and finding solutions to improve their health. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median pay in 2022 for nurse practitioners was $121,610.

The states with the highest employment level in nurse practitioners are California, Texas, Florida and New York, according to the BLS. BLS projects that employment of nurse practitioners is projected to grow 45% from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations. Advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) are projected to be in high demand in inner cities and rural areas.

Interested in other women’s health-related fields? Check out the guide to certified nurse midwife programs (CNM).