Precise scope of practice can vary by state and employer. The American Associate of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) provides a brief summary of the scope of practice common to all nurse practitioners.
You may have some initial questions about what a WHNP can and can’t do. For instance, can WHNP…
- Write prescriptions? Yes, nurse practitioners may write prescriptions.
- See male patients? Yes, some WHNPs may treat men. WHNPs are educationally prepared to care for individuals inclusive of sex, gender, or sexual orientation.
- Deliver babies? No, only midwives or obstetricians (Obstetrics and Gynecology - OBGYN) can deliver babies.
- Prenatal care? Yes, WHNP can provide pregnancy testing, fertility evaluation, prenatal visits, and postpartum care.
- Be called an “OBGYN” nurse practitioner? Some WHNP may be informally regarded as an OBGYN NP if their care focuses primarily on the pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum period. However, no WHNP has the same scope of practice as an OBGYN physician (or nurse midwife).
- Do mammograms? No. WHNP can order mammograms but they do not perform the actual exams.
You’ll learn more specifics over the course of the WHNP program.
Learn more about becoming a women's health nurse practitioner
* Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics 2022 / Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.