Women's Health Nurse Practitioner

What does a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner do?

Click here to learn more from Dr. Sharon Ryan.

Advanced nursing practice
The Women's Health specialty track prepares graduates for challenging careers as Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners. Coursework, extensive clinical experience, and research allow our students to acquire the knowledge, values, and skills necessary for certification as Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners.

The curricula are designed to facilitate the student’s achievement of the competencies of the “The Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner: Guidelines for Practice and Education.” Our nurse practitioner specialty meets the curriculum guidelines of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties.

At the heart of our master’s program are active, collaborative relationships between the College of Nursing faculty and community-based primary care agencies as well as The Ohio State University Medical Center’s teaching hospitals.

As part of the country’s most comprehensive health sciences center, our students benefit from access to cutting-edge research and knowledge, a diverse selection of elective courses, and interdisciplinary collaboration among health care professionals.

Our central location, class schedules, and preceptors throughout Ohio conveniently accommodate both part-time and full-time students. Our state-of-the-art computer-based curriculum provides a convenient and accessible educational opportunity for Women’s Health students throughout the state, including those in rural areas.

Core Women’s Health faculty
Jeremy Neal, PhD, CNM, RNC, Director
Randee Masciola, WHNP-BC, MS, lead faculty

Essential skills
Our graduates enter the workforce with the skills and competencies to:
• assume an advanced practice role as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
• put theory and research into practice with women and their families
• design, implement, and evaluate health care strategies for selected populations
• utilize leadership skills and ethical principles to effect positive change in policies at the local, regional, and national level
• expand knowledge by identifying research problems, participating in research, and engaging in evidence-based practice
• adapt professionally to the constantly changing health care environment
• contribute to the advancement of the profession

Core curriculum
Students are required to complete the following core courses:

Nursing 7400 Leadership in Advanced Nursing
Nursing 7440 Scientific Thought in Nursing
Nursing 7490 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Nursing 7480 Quality Improvement in Advanced Nursing Care
Nursing 7500 Nursing in the American Health Care System
Nursing 7520 Graduate Nursing Informatics
Nursing 7780 Evidence Based Nursing Scholarship
Nursing 7410 Advanced Health Assessment
Nursing 7450 Pathophysiology of Altered Health States
Nursing 7470 Advanced Pharmacology in Nursing

Additional required nursing courses
Students must complete the following prerequisites prior to clinical courses :

Nursing 7281 Advanced Reproductive Dynamics
Nursing 7260 Concepts and Issues in Advanced Family Nursing

Specialty content and clinical experience
Our specialty provides precepted clinical experience in a wide variety of geographic locations and clinical sites. However, students may be required to travel up to 2 hours away or outside of Ohio to complete the clinical requirement. All travel is at the expense of the student. Clinical experience at a minimum of 16 to 24 hours per week throughout the clinical sequence provides students with opportunities to achieve the competencies of the specialty. Clinical seminars are used to augment the modular content of the online courses. In addition, clinical skills laboratories, presentations by faculty on selected topics, student-led case studies, and occasional guest speakers are included in the curriculum. Student performance is evaluated through a variety of methods, including scholarly papers, in-class and take-home quizzes, and examinations, worksheets, and clinical practice.

There is a series of three clinical courses:

Nursing 7298.01 Advanced Practice Nursing: Women’s Health Clinical Practicum I
Nursing 7298.02 Advanced Practice Nursing: Women’s Health Clinical Practicum II
Nursing 7298.03 Advanced Practice Nursing: Women’s Health Clinical Practicum III

All WHNP students are required to go to a professional conference their last clinical year, which will require travel expenses.

Download PDF> Sample curriculum

Admissions & program information

Traditional Master of Science option
Graduate Entry option

Post-Master’s option
Applicants must apply directly to the College of Nursing for admission to the Post-Master's option . For further information about the post-master's option, click here

For further information about the Women's Health Nurse Practitioner , contact:

The Ohio State University
College of Nursing
Graduate Outreach and Admissions
1585 Neil Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1289

Call (614) 688-8145
E-mail nursing@osu.edu

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