Women Health Nurse Practitioner

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has called for moving the level of preparation necessary for advanced nursing practice roles (nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and clinical nurse specialists) from the master's degree to the doctorate degree by the year 2015. The University of Utah College of Nursing has met this goal and now offers advanced practice nursing programs as a DNP degree. The DNP curricula build on previous the Master of Nursing program by providing education in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, health care systems, leadership and health care policy. The DNP program prepare nurses for the highest level of practice in nursing.

For the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, the College of Nursing prepares students for advanced nursing roles in the following tracks: Certified Nurse Midwifery, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Women's Health Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner.

The Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) specialty track prepares Primary Care nurse practitioners that focus on providing care for conditions unique to women from menarche through the remainder of their lives as well as reproductive health care for men. Women’s health nurse practitioners provide evidence-based assessment diagnosis treatment and management in health promotion care of women’s common primary care non-gynecologic problems, gynecologic care, male sexual health and normal and high-risk prenatal and postpartum care. The women’s health nurse practitioner uses leadership and collaboration to provide comprehensive care in a variety of outpatient and acute care settings.

Specialty Track Highlights

• Students are mentored within our unique faculty practice Birthcare Healthcare
• Students have contact with diverse patient populations
• High faculty to student ratio (never more than 2 students per 1 faculty in the clinical setting)
• Innovative high fidelity simulation and interprofessional training
• In-state tuition available for students residing in the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
• Option to complete dual CNM and WHNP specialties concurrently (extends program by 1 semester)
• Each specialty program also offers to a post graduate certificate program of study

The educational approach in the DNP program includes multiple modalities, including traditional on campus and hybrid classes, web-based, and synchronous distance learning, and clinical experiences designed to meet student needs.

Length of Study

The WHNP tracks requires approximately 85 credit hours in didactic and clinical coursework. The single specialty track (WHNP) is 8 semesters long and the dual track (WHNP + CNP) is 9 semesters long. These options are available only as full-time programs (9+ credit hours per semester) and are completed in three (3) years, including at least two (2) summer semesters.

• NURS 6000 - Evidence Based Practice I 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 6001 - Professional Role and Collaboration 2 Credit(s)
• NURS 6004 - Introduction to Information & Information Technology 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 6006 - Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics across the Lifespan 1 Credit(s)
• NURS 6060 - US Health Care: Systems and Policy 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 6240 - Clinical Genetics 2 Credit(s)
• NURS 6772 - Quality Improvement in Healthcare 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 7015 - Leadership and Advocacy 2 Credit(s)
• NURS 7025 - Introduction to Epidemiology and Population Science 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 7028 - Advanced Physical Assess & health Promo Across the Lifespan 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 7500 - Evidence-Based Practice II 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 7053 - Advanced Pathophysiology for DNP Students I 2 Credit(s)
• NURS 7054 - Advanced Pathophysiology for DNP Students II 2 Credit(s)
• NURS 7510 - Social Determinants of Health 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 7701 - DNP Scholarly Project I 2 Credit(s)
• NURS 7702 - DNP Scholarly Project II 2 Credit(s)
• NURS 7703 - DNP Scholarly Project III 2 Credit(s)

• IPE - Interprofessional Experience (0.5 credits each / 1 credit required)

Emphasis Requirements for Women's Health Nurse Practitioner

• NURS 6052 - Advanced Pharmacology for NMW/WHNP 2 Credit(s)
• NURS 6101 - Antepartum Management 2 Credit(s)
• NURS 6106 - Childbearing Complications 2 Credit(s)
• NURS 6113 - Postpartum/Newborn Management 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 6115 - Gynecologic Management 2 Credit(s)
• NURS 6116 - Well Woman Health Management 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 6601 - Management of Episodic Problems 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 6603 - Chronic Problems of Adults and Elders 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 7007 - Advanced Pathophysiology II 1 - 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 7108 - Introduction to Simulation for Women's Health Care Providers 1 Credit(s)
• NURS 7109 - Ambulatory Care & Inpatient Simulation for Women's Health Care 1 Credit(s)
• NURS 7611 - Nurse Midwifery/Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Practicum I 2 Credit(s)
• NURS 7613 - Nurse Midwifery/Women's Health Practicum II 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 7615 - Women's Health Practicum III 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 7617 - Women's Health Practitioner IV 2 - 3 Credit(s)
• NURS 7619 - Women's Health Residency 2 - 6 Credit(s)

• Submission of a completed College of Nursing Graduate Program Application by the January 15 deadline
• Evidence of completion of a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from a regionally accredited university or college, and a nationally accredited nursing school from either 1) The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Accreditation (CCNE), or 2) The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
• Verification of licensure as an RN or APRN in at least one of the jurisdictions of National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
• Minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale
• Preference is given to applicants with at least a year of labor and delivery nursing experience
• Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) REQUIRED for applicants with a cumulative GPA below 3.20 and score cannot be older than five years
• Evidence of English-language proficiency is required for applicants whose first language is not English. Applicants are required to submit results of either the Test of English Foreign Language or IELTS. 

Required Prerequisite Course

Prerequisite courses require a B grade or better and may be completed during the admission process. All prerequisite courses must be completed before beginning the program. If you take a course during the summer semester before beginning the program, it must be at the University of Utah.

Upper Division Physiology

• BS in Nursing graduates prior to 2012 must take this course
• BS in Nursing graduates 2012 or later who have not taken this course as part of the curriculum must take this course
• RN to BS graduates who did not take an upper division level course in physiology or pathophysiology are required to take this course
• Upper division level = 3000 or higher
• College of Nursing offers NURS 5905: Clinical Physiology offered Spring and Summer semesters