One of the key specializations for the health care system is a women’s health nurse practitioner. Since a large portion of the female population prefers nurses with this specialization, which has driven their necessity higher.
Additionally, the aging female population enjoys having nurses who can provide care specific to their needs. If you want to pursue a career as a women’s health nurse, here are some things you should know.
What Is a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner?
There are three levels of nurses, RN, BSN, and MSN, with the main difference being the level of education they have received. A women’s health nurse is someone who has an MSN and specialized in women’s health. Additionally, these people must obtain the proper licensing to work in their state.
As with any nurse specialist, these candidates will be very passionate about all the women they serve. That means you can expect them to be concerned about the unique needs of women’s health.
Additionally, these individuals study things, such as the intersection between socioeconomic status and women’s health. For instance, they study the risks associated with high-stress conditions, lower educational levels, and reduced access to preventative care.
This and the lack of access to prenatal care have made the mortality rates higher for low-income women. Therefore, women’s health nurses work to provide more access to necessary health care throughout the country. In other words, you will help people in this job.
What Does This Specialization Involve?
Women’s health nurses provide more services than a typical nurse. In most states, they can act as a physician in an MD supervised office, while in others, they don’t even need to work under an MD. They collect medical histories, diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, and formulate treatment plans.
This is different than a standard RN who can only make recommendations and follow a doctor’s orders. Plus, a women’s health nurse will focus on delivering women’s care.
What Is This Job’s Outlook Like?
The outlook for women’s health nurses is good. After all, the aging American population is going to need nurses of all kinds. This is further increased when you consider that more than half of all Americans have a chronic condition. Plus, people have better access to medical treatments, such as abortion Illinois.
On top of all this, is the fact that more nurses are retiring without candidates to fill their positions. However, the number of people seeking women’s health care is growing.
All of these factors have put a strain on the current system. Now, there is a shortage of nurses who specialize in women’s care. Therefore, these people have taken on extra responsibilities. While that may not sound like an attractive position, it means that the demand for these people is incredibly high. It is a fast-growing job and offers a medium salary of approximately $100,000.
Providing medical services is important. So are the nurses who provide specialized care. In other words, women’s health nurse practitioners are critical to society. They help treat women’s needs and grow the number of people receiving routine care.