An online MSN Womens Health degree prepares a nurse to work with this specific population. Women’s Health nurses provide care to females from adolescence through their advanced years. They typically offer gynecologic care, pregnancy management, and overall reproductive care to female patients.
A women’s health nurse practitioner (WHNP) is a nurse practitioner with the education and experience focused on providing care service to women across their lifespan. To be a WHNP, you must first become a registered nurse (RN) and then go on to advanced studies to be a nurse practitioner. At any point during this education, students can choose to focus specifically on women’s health. This includes completing hands-on clinical experience with female patients in real-life settings. Most of the work of a women’s health nurse practitioner happened in an office setting as opposed to a hospital or delivery room.
Ranking The Best Online MSN in Women’s Health Degree Programs
The editors at TopRN began with a thorough list of all nursing schools that offer MSN in Women’s Health degree programs. From there, we focused on schools with a fully online or hybrid degree program. Then we ranked the schools based on Salary, Reputation, and Cost of Tuition. Finally, we use data from College Scorecard, IPEDS, and Niche.
1. Georgetown University
Georgetown University offers an MSN Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner degree students can attend online. The program blends asynchronous and synchronous lessons with clinical work to deliver a comprehensive education. Most students in the forty-four credit master’s program take two years to finish. The Georgetown online MSN program focuses on holistic care of the entire person, including spiritual, mental, and physical needs. Students learn to treat illnesses unique to women while also gaining experience with reproductive health. Two clinical experiences totaling 783 hours are required, along with the online coursework. Graduates provide primary and gynecologic care to women throughout every stage of their lives. They work in various settings, including clinics, hospitals, and also doctor’s offices. In addition, graduates are eligible to take boards to receive national certification.
Georgetown University is in Washington, DC, and offers one of the best online MSN women’s health nurse practitioner programs. Furthermore, the part-time CCNE accredited degree allows practicing nurses to achieve their degrees while working. Since 1903, Georgetown has trained over 10,000 nurses for the country’s workforce. Georgetown University is a Catholic institution and is well-known for its approach to holistic education using Catholic values.
Degree: MSN Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
2. Duke University
Duke University offers an online MSN Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner degree. The program provides a broad foundation combined with specific knowledge based on the unique needs of health care for women. This degree prepares nurses for clinical practice focusing on women’s reproductive health. Students complete forty-five credits with online coursework and also 672 clinical hours. In addition, they attend a two-day intense on-campus learning experience each semester. Graduates work in private practice, health departments, clinics, and medical centers.
Duke University is in Durham, North Carolina, and is well known for its research and scholarship in the medical profession. The Duke School of Nursing offers numerous undergraduate and graduate programs, many of which are in niche focus areas. For example, Duke offers the only women’s health nurse practitioner program in North Carolina. Furthermore, the Master of Science in Nursing program at Duke University provides eleven CCNE accredited advanced majors, including the Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner degree. In addition, nursing students at Duke have access to some of the country’s best nursing research centers and institutes.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
3. Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is in Nashville, Tennessee, and offers an MSN Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner degree. This program teaches nurses how to deliver primary care for women at all stages of their lives, from teens through their senior years. In addition to providing gynecological care, nurses teach patients family planning and education on sexually transmitted diseases. Nurses learn to diagnose and treat sexually transmitted infections and care for low-risk and high-risk pregnancy situations. Students learn to oversee and manage the full scope of a patient’s medical care, including disease prevention and promoting healthy decisions. The program also covers hormone therapy, cultural humility, and interpersonal violence.
The School of Nursing at Vanderbilt University is associated with the university’s Medical Center. Vanderbilt nursing offers one of the most extensive programs on women’s health in the country. The curriculum is rigorous and also instructed by nationally accredited faculty who teach based on clinical and real-life experience. This major combines clinical training, simulation exercises, and also traditional classroom interactions. In addition to learning about health care for women, you will understand experiences and situations that influence women’s lives and wellness.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
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4. Emory University
Emory University is in Atlanta, Georgia, and offers an MSN Women’s Health and Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner degree. The Emory MSN program trains nurses to help individuals with their sexual and reproductive health care needs. Students learn how to monitor, maintain, and also care for women at any stage of their lives. The program at Emory University has a strong emphasis on the disparities in healthcare that minorities face. Students learn to provide sexual and reproductive healthcare that is inclusive by understanding the disadvantages created by sexual health and gender inequities.
Emory University has one of the best online MSN Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs. Emory MSN graduates must complete 630 supervised hours of clinical practice. The clinical sites provide opportunities for learning within diverse populations, especially in hospital and outpatient settings. The MSN program coursework consists of forty-six credits students can complete online. On-campus visits are required every semester, but students do not need to be Georgia residents to attend this program.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health/Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner (WHGRNP)
5. University of Colorado Denver
The University of Colorado Denver offers an MSN in Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) education program. The intent of this program is to create graduates that can receive certification as Certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners. In addition, this is a specialty track that makes students eligible to receive national certification. Students are prepared to lead while providing care for women as primary care practitioners. This program focuses on the unique conditions that women face at every stage of their lives. Students have the opportunity for professional placement across the country. After graduating, many students work in private practice, healthcare facilities, and also public health clinics.
The University of Colorado Denver has one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs. This program provides a balance between classroom learning, clinical exercises. In addition, students learn leadership through collaboration across professions. The University of Colorado Denver has been a leading force to improve education on women’s safety, quality of care, and also reproductive health.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
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6. University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is located in Chicago, Illinois, and offers an advanced degree as an online MSN Women’s Health. Their Master of Science for RN has a concentration in women’s health. Students in this program focus on researching and caring for women throughout their life. This is an interdisciplinary concentration sponsored by both the National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health and Center for Research on Women and Gender.
The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) offers one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs. The College of Nursing ensures there is no place for racism in nursing, in UIC, or in the country. In addition, the school and the program are advocating for social justice and equity.
Degree: Master of Science for RN with a concentration in Women’s Health
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7. University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota offers an online Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner degree. The program prepares nurses for the ability to advance care to women through every stage of their life. This program focuses on the unique challenges women face, including the transitions they go through. The students gain knowledge about prevention and maintaining overall health and well-being. In addition, these students learn how to treat common and difficult reproductive health conditions that women face.
The University of Minnesota has one of the best online MSN Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs. This online program allows students to learn at their own pace in a space that is comfortable to them. You can choose a fully online, partially online, or hybrid option.
Degree: Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner DNP
8. Stony Brook University, SUNY
Stony Brook University, State University of New York (SUNY), is located in Stony Brook, NY, offers a degree in MSN with a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner focus. This program ensures nurses become experts in providing primary health care to both women and their families. This program focuses on promoting, maintaining, and also restoring the health of women throughout their lives. Students learn how to diagnose and manage illness in women. In addition, students become advocates and agents of change for women and their healthcare needs.
Stony Brook University, SUNY, has one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs. The programs within the nursing school are either full-time or part-time based on the needs of the student. Stony Brook University prepares students for professional nursing at both basic and advanced levels.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
9. Case Western Reserve University
The Case Western Reserve University is located in Cleveland, Ohio, offers an online MSN Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) program. This program is creating students that become experts in the field of promoting woman-focused health and disease prevention. Students focus on both comprehensive health care to women and also gynecologic and reproductive health. When graduating, students know how to provide care for women before, during, and after pregnancy.
The Case Western Reserve University offers one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs. This School of Nursing provides courses in formats that are not traditional. The formats include online and intensive courses. In addition, CWRU has six majors within the School of Nursing. This includes women’s health and also psychiatric mental health.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
10. University of Missouri St Louis
The University of Missouri St Louis (UMSL) offers an online MSN Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Primary Care degree. This program gives students the knowledge and experience to provide primary care to women through every stage of their life cycle. In addition, UMSL teaches students to understand how interpersonal, family, and community impact women and their health.
The University of Missouri St Louis (UMSL) has offered one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs since 1981. The program was designed to be an innovative program that provides the ability for nurses to receive a higher degree. Upon graduation, students can work as a women’s health nurse practitioner, psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner.
Degree: Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care
11. University of Nebraska
The University of Nebraska in Omaha offers an MSN with a concentration in Women’s Health NP. In the program, students are prepared for advanced practice as nurse practitioners focusing on women’s health issues. Upon graduation, students focus on the needs of those living in Nebraska and the region.
The University of Nebraska Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner program aims to create leaders in both professional practice and scholarship. The MSN program includes the use of classroom learning, labs, outpatient care, and also the Munroe-Meyer Institute. In addition, the campus hosts hospital towers, which are operated by the Nebraska Medical Center.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health NP
12. University of Missouri Kansas City
University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) offers a DNP and MSN Women’s Health degree program. The online MSN Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) program readies students for advanced nursing practice for women in the gynecological, primary, and also prenatal areas. In addition, this program focuses on providing high-quality health care in the areas of disease prevention, health education, counseling, and health promotion.
University of Missouri Kansas City offers one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs that has maximum flexibility. UMKC created a hybrid program to allow students to both work and learn. Courses are online with classes and face-to-face interaction time scheduled well in advance. UMKC uses well-known software for online courses. Classes are both synchronous and asynchronous, with the ability to interact with faculty and classmates online.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
13. The University of Alabama
The University of Alabama in Birmingham has a master’s in Women’s Health called the MSN Nurse Practitioner Pathway. This pathway ensures nurses are ready to fill a critical need in healthcare. With growing disparities among people, complex needs of patients, and a quickly aging population, the needs of women are growing and tend to get overlooked. Upon graduation, these students will be prepared for practice in clinics, hospitals, community agencies, and also private practice.
The University of Alabama offers one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs with a distance accessible format. The program combines both online coursework and on-campus intensives. This program teaches more than care, as it digs deep into real-world issues in health care. UAB encourages collaboration among professionals to address the needs of healthcare across communities.
Degree: MSN – Nurse Practitioner Pathway
14. Jefferson University
Jefferson University offers an MSN in Women’s Health Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner degree. The Jefferson program teaches students how to care for women’s health needs through all aspects of their lives. Focus areas of the program include labor and delivery, outpatient care, and also managing holistic and comprehensive health care. In addition, students are taught how to analyze policy and consider how economic factors, ethical and socio-cultural layers impact health care.
Jefferson, formerly Philadelphia University and Thomas Jefferson University, offers one of the best online Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner programs. With the combination of the two universities in 2017, an academic powerhouse emerged. Jefferson designed to make an impact on education in the fields of medicine and health, among others. In addition, the online environment created at Jefferson allows students to interact in an engaging community of learning.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner
15. University of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama offers an MSN in Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) degree. This online program prepares students for advanced practice for women across the changes they face throughout their lives. Students learn to deliver primary care, gynecologic, and also obstetrical services. In addition, the program has an emphasis on sexual dysfunction, infertility, and sexually transmitted diseases. Students learn how to promote good health, prevent disease, maintain and restore health.
The University of South Alabama is one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs offering online coursework. This allows students to achieve an advanced degree while counting to work in the field. In addition, through various technology options, faculty is available to provide support to students.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)
16. Northwestern State University of Louisiana
The Northwestern State University of Louisiana Online offers an online MSN Women’s Health program. They are dedicated to creating a diverse student body prepared to enter the world of advanced health care with a focus on women’s needs. In addition, they are committed to creating responsible members and leaders of the nursing community and society.
Northwestern State University of Louisiana Online offers one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs. The nursing program was started in 1949 and was also the first public institution in Louisiana to create such a program. Since that time, they have added more degree options for students. In addition, the school is well known throughout the state for graduating nurses high qualified for advanced health care.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)
17. University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati (UC) offers an advanced degree, MSN Women’s Health, with focuses on the critical needs of women’s health. The program at the University of Cincinnati prepares nurses for the primary care of female patients, promoting wellness and disease prevention throughout their lives. This program includes learning how to assess, diagnose and perform clinical management of sexual and reproductive health concerns. WHNPs are a critical part of patient care and recovery.
University of Cincinnati (UC) has one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs, providing the ability to learn in a completely online environment. In addition, it has flexible scheduling that does not lose anything in the quality of the education.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health
18. Florida A&M University
Florida A&M University (FAMU) offers one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs with their Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) degree. This degree readies students to offer primary care services to women throughout their lives. In addition, this degree emphasizes the conditions unique to women, from the socio-cultural environment to family and interpersonal issues.
Florida A&M University (FAMU) focuses on the differences for gender, culture, social class, sexual orientation, and culture with their MSN Women’s Health degree. FAMU is focused on creating an environment centered on students while keeping their core values in focus. They are dedicated to resolving complex issues and empowering the community.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)
19. Drexel University
Drexel University offers an MSN with a Women’s Health and Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner program. This program teaches students how to provide advanced care to women through every stage of their lives. It has a strong emphasis on both reproductive and sexual health. As a result, students understand a large amount of gender-related needs while promoting health and preventing disease.
Drexel University has one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs. This is an accredited online program focused on providing nurses with the skills needed to understand the needs of women and their partners. Drexel prepares students for positions as researchers, clinicians, leaders, and educators.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health / Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner
20. Kent State University
Kent State University offers an MSN Women’s Health called the Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner concentration. This concentration gives students the ability to provide a high level of primary nursing and health care for women with a focus on preventing disease and promoting health. In addition, students focus on treating acute and chronic conditions.
Kent State University offers one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs. In addition to a nurse practitioner degree, students can receive a dual degree with an MBA in Business Administration. This prepares students for administrative and management work in the care of women and their health needs.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
21. Georgia College and State University
Georgia College and State University offer an online MSN with a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner concentration. This program trains students to provide general health care throughout a woman’s lifespan. This includes general health care, pregnancy, and postpartum care, gynecologic care, treatment, and education of sexually transmitted diseases.
Georgia College and State University offer one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs in an online environment. It is a completely online format with little requirement for on-campus face-to-face time. As a result, students are able to find opportunities in management, administration, teaching, and advanced practice clinical positions throughout Georgia and the nation.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration
22. Carlow University
Carlow University offers a degree MSN Nurse Practitioner degree with a focus on Women’s Health. The Carlow program teaches the necessary skills to nurses to provide compassionate care to women. Students become highly trained professionals confident in their ability to treat the unique needs of women throughout their lifespan.
Carlow University, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, provides students with one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs. They offer small classes, online programs, and in-class learning. In addition, they have a foundation rooted in compassion based on the Sisters of Mercy’s beliefs.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
23. Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago offers an MSN Women’s Health with a Nurse Practitioner program. This program creates graduates that are experts in women’s health with a focus on reproductive and gender health.
Loyola University Chicago offers one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs. This is a flexible program that can be turned into a personal experience specific to each student’s career needs. This is a small program to allow focus on individual needs.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
24. Regis College
Regis College offers an MSN Women’s Health degree with their Nursing Practice program. This program provides the opportunity to address complex health issues for women. The program topics include pregnancy, childbirth, postnatal care, wellness examinations, family planning, and also health issues.
Regis College has one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs in Massachusetts, with a focus on industry-relevant coursework. This program is a virtual extension of the in-person campus program. As a result, the Regis School of Nursing was the first in New England to be designated a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nursing.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Nursing Practice
25. Frontier Nursing University
Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has an MSN Women’s Health Program with a focus on the health practitioner. The Frontier program produces students in advanced nursing that specialize in comprehensive health care for women. They focus on well-woman care, reproductive and gynecological care, and also prenatal and postpartum care. In addition, students have a focus on health promotion, disease prevention, health education, and helping patients make smart lifestyle choices.
Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is one of the Best Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs. Frontier Nursing University has a distance education model that becomes a classroom in your home community. This flexible program allows you to get an advanced degree while continuing to work. FNU faculty are dedicated to providing students with consistent support throughout the educational journey. In addition, the school is committed to increasing the number of advanced nurses able to provide evidence-based care that is safe and sensitive to the needs of women and their families.
Degree: MSN – Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner
What Do Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners Do?
A women’s health nurse practitioner assesses, diagnoses, and treats the needs and health care of women through every aspect of their lives. They can work in private practice, clinics, hospitals, and also emergency care. Well-health exams, preventative care, contraceptive care, and also breast cancer screenings are some of the services they provide. In addition, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners also offer health counseling, evaluation, and treatment of infections, care before, during, and after pregnancy. Other services they provide may include ordering and reviewing imaging and also blood tests.
A women’s health nurse practitioner may create a treatment plan, schedule patients for surgery while coordinating with the surgical department. They may prepare patients for surgery and provide a post-op plan for care, as well as discharge them from the hospital after procedures. In addition, a women’s health nurse practitioner collaborates with the patient, their family, and other providers to ensure the individual is receiving the highest quality of care.
Where Can I Work With a online MSN Women’s Health NP?
A women’s health nurse practitioner specializes in the health care of women and also focuses on women’s health. This includes services such as wellness exams, testing for pregnancy and STDs, urinary tract problems, menopause health promotion. A women’s health nurse practitioner can work in a large variety of clinical settings. They may choose to work in hospitals or clinics. Some nurses work in prisons or private practices. They can also choose to be researchers or educators. For example, they may choose to work at a university teaching the next generation of women’s health nurse practitioners.
What Is the Difference Between a MSN Women’s Health NP and a Certified Nurse Midwife?
A certified nurse-midwife and women’s health nurse practitioner both care for the health of women in clinical settings. However, there are some differences between the two. Both a certified nurse-midwife and a women’s health nurse practitioner conduct physical exams. They both can also take medical histories, educate women on proper health care, and also provide guidance and medical treatment to their patients.
The main differences between them are that a certified nurse-midwife provides medical care to women while of childbearing age, pregnant women, and newborns. In addition, they provide services including checkups, pap smears, contraception and preconception advising, sexual health education, and family health planning. They provide medical care and treatment to low-risk pregnant women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period.
A women’s health nurse practitioner focuses more on general and reproductive health care for women. This treats women during all periods of their lives, even before and after childbearing years.
What Are The MSN Womens Health Nurse Practitioner Certifications?
There are some qualifications a nurse must have before they can become certified as a women’s health nurse practitioner. First, they must already be a registered nurse with a current nursing license. A registered nurse can go right into a master of the nursing program without gaining real work experience or can do both at the same time. They must also complete and graduate from an MSN/NP program that offers a program to become a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. After graduation, the nurse must receive certification by both taking and passing the certification exam for the National Certification Corporation Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner (WHNP-BC).
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