Written By: Darby Faubion BSN, RN
Have you ever considered a career that focuses specifically on women and their healthcare needs? Perhaps a career that would allow you to provide healthcare services and education to women of various ages throughout life? Does the idea of caring for patients through pregnancy and childbirth and providing postpartum care to moms and newborns sound exciting to you? If this sounds like you, applying for admission to any one of the best dual Midwifery and WHNP programs could be a great option for you. By enrolling in a dual women’s health nurse practitioner and midwifery program, you can learn to care for women across their lifespan and specialize in giving care to women throughout pregnancy and delivery. In this article, we will discuss some information about achieving this goal and share some of the best dual Midwifery and WHNP programs for 2023 for your review.
What Exactly Is the Purpose of a Dual Midwifery and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Program?
Dual Midwifery and WHNP programs are designed to prepare advanced practice nurses who wish to specialize in women’s health with the knowledge and skills needed to provide comprehensive, professional healthcare throughout women’s lives. These programs teach nurse-midwife/WHNP students how to promote health and wellness through support, education, and healthcare advocacy.
5 Advantages of Dual Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and Midwifery Programs
Nurses who are interested in furthering their nursing careers by becoming a nurse practitioner with dual specialization can choose from several schools that offer dual nurse practitioner degrees. The choice of a specialty dual degree depends on an individual's preference of the type of patient population for whom they want to provide care, such as those who choose dual WHNP and Midwifery programs. If a long-term career providing women’s healthcare is one of your goals, consider these advantages of a dual midwifery and women’s health nurse practitioner program.
1.Pursuing a dual concentration means having the opportunity to expand the reach of your practice.
For instance, enrolling in a dual Midwifery and WHNP program online or on-campus means that you could broaden the range of clients for whom you provide care. You could specialize in general women's health issues and women's reproductive health and childbirth issues.
2.Spend less money on your degree.
Because midwifery NP programs and women’s health nurse practitioner programs cover a lot of the same course content, you could save money by enrolling in a school that offers dual Midwifery and WHNP programs. By doing so, you can get credit for specific courses that you take once, but that are applied to both programs.
3.Finish your degree in less time.
As mentioned above, dual women’s health nurse practitioner programs and midwifery programs require some of the same courses. Because you only have to take these courses once to receive credit, you can decrease the amount of time it takes to complete your dual degree.
4.Flexibility, which leads to better job security:
Obtaining a dual degree means that you are trained to specialize in more than one area of patient care. Although midwifery and WHNP degrees are similar, there are differences between the two, as well. Those differences mean if you cannot find the perfect job in one specialty, you may find a position in the other specialty. It is no secret that the more you learn, the more valuable you become to potential employers and to your patients.
5.Choose where you want to attend classes.
Some schools offer dual Midwifery and WHNP programs online, on-campus, or offer the option of hybrid courses. Being able to choose whether you want to attend school on-campus or online means having more control over when and where you study and deciding for yourself what type of setting you want to learn in.
How Long Are Dual Midwifery and WHNP Programs?
The primary factor that affects how long a dual women’s health nurse practitioner and midwifery program takes to complete is the education or degree level that an applicant has already completed before entry into the program. Students who enroll in any one of the best dual midwifery and WHNP programs and attend full-time can complete the program faster than those who enroll on a part-time basis. It is important to understand, though, that not everyone learns the same and if you feel like the part-time study is better suited for you, choose that path, even if it takes a little longer to complete.
MSN-prepared nurses can complete the dual Midwifery and WHNP program at the University of California in San Francisco in two years of full-time study. Rutgers School of Nursing offers three and 4-year study paths for those enrolled in their program. The University of Illinois at Chicago provides its dual Midwifery and WHNP programs through online, on-campus as well as blended courses. The program is one of the university's ten DNP advanced practice focus areas. It can take students anywhere from three to six years to complete, depending on an applicant's current degree at entry.
How Much Do Dual Midwifery and WHNP Programs Cost?
The cost of a dual midwifery and women’s health nurse practitioner program may range from $25,000 to over $75,000, depending on the school and the student’s entry-level of education. Ohio University students who are state residents pay $601 per credit hour while non-residents pay $620 per credit hour, spending an average of $60,000 for a dual WHNP and midwifery program. The University of Utah’s dual women’s health NP and midwifery program requires students to complete 94 credit hours at a rate of $518 per credit hour or approximately $49,000.
Clinical Training
Each college or university sets the guidelines for clinical hours that are required for each of their dual NP programs. On average, at least one thousand clinical hours are required to complete any nurse practitioner program. This includes midwifery and women’s health nurse practitioner dual programs. The clinical practicum hours in the dual program involve both nurse-midwifery and women's health settings. At Rutger’s School of Nursing, students must complete 855 clinical hours and 500 mentored hours devoted to the student's DNP project. Georgetown University's WHNP and midwifery dual enrollment students must complete at least 1,000 clinical practice hours.
Admission Requirements
Each college or university has the right to set its own requirements for admission to any dual NP program. However, you are likely to find that admission requirements for dual midwifery and WHNP programs are quite similar among all of the schools that offer this dual enrollment program. In general, dual WHNP and midwifery program admission requirements include possessing a minimum baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN), having and maintaining an active, unrestricted license to practice as a registered nurse in the state where you will complete your clinical practicum, and a cumulative 3.0-grade point average from all post-secondary schools attended prior to admission to the program.
Generally, most colleges and universities also require:
•Submission of professional resume’ or curriculum vitae
•Personal statement from the applicant
•At least three professional letters of recommendation
•Official transcripts from any post-secondary school attended
Other admission requirements that some schools require include the following.
Requirements for admission to California State University's women's health NP and midwifery dual program also include upper-division statistics course completed with a minimum grade of "C and at least 6 months of experience as a hospital RN in the labor and delivery department. If an applicant has a non-nursing bachelor's degree, they must complete a Community Health Nursing program with a minimum grade of "C." Georgetown University requires applicants to be a US citizen or permanent resident, complete a three-credit course in statistics with a grade of "C" or higher. Applicants to the University of California at San Francisco may not apply with more than two prerequisite courses already in progress. They must present evidence that they are qualified for graduate study by submitting appropriate application documents, goal statements, professional references, and the baccalaureate GPA.
FOLLOWING ARE THE 6 BEST DUAL MIDWIFERY AND WHNP PROGRAMS (ONLINE & CAMPUS) IN THE NATION FOR 2023
1. The Ohio State University - Columbus, OH (Campus)
Programs Offered:
Master's Entry, MSN, and BSN to DNP
2. University of California-San Francisco - San Francisco, CA (Campus)
Programs Offered:
Master's Entry and MSN
3. University of Illinois at Chicago - Chicago, IL (Hybrid)
Programs Offered:
MSN to DNP and Post-DNP certificate
4. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Newark, NJ (Campus)
Programs Offered:
5. University of Utah - Salt Lake City, UT (Online)
Programs Offered:
6. Georgetown University - Washington, DC (Online)
Programs Offered:
MSN and BSN to DNP
7. California State University-Fullerton - Fullerton, CA (Hybrid)
Programs Offered:
Career Opportunities Career Opportunities After Completion of This Dual Degree
Having a dual nurse practitioner degree in midwifery and women’s health can open the door to many possibilities for job opportunities. Some common positions that someone with this degree may be offered include:
1.Midwife/Women’s Health Practitioner in an OB/GYN Clinic:
These NPs may perform education regarding pregnancy, perform women’s health wellness visits, prenatal assessments for expectant mothers, perform ultrasounds and fetal monitoring.
2.Birthing Center WHNP/Midwife Specialist:
Birthing centers provide a "home-like" environment for laboring women. NPs who work in birthing centers monitor the progression of labor and assist with delivery of the newborn, provide postpartum care to the mother, and offer education and support to the mother and family.
3.University/College Professor:
There's nothing like having a college professor who is a specialist in a specific area of curriculum you are studying. Nurses who have pursued a degree as a dual midwife and WHNP make excellent instructors, especially when teaching subjects related to their career specialty.
Bottomline
If a long-term career specializing in women's health matters is something you are serious about, pursuing a dual degree as a nurse-midwife and women's health nurse practitioner may be an excellent decision for you. In this article, we have shared six of the best dual Midwifery and WHNP programs for 2023. Take the time to research the types of programs available, decide if you want to attend school on-campus, online, or use a hybrid setting and then go pursue your goals!
Darby Faubion BSN, RN
Darby Faubion is a nurse and Allied Health educator with over twenty years' experience. She has assisted in developing curriculum for nursing programs and has instructed students at both community college and university levels.
As a seasoned healthcare professional deeply entrenched in the field of women's health and nursing, I can affirm my expertise by drawing upon my extensive knowledge and experience. With a background in nursing and Allied Health education, I've not only contributed to the development of nursing curriculum but also instructed aspiring healthcare professionals at both community college and university levels. My hands-on involvement in shaping the education of future nurses underscores my commitment to the field.
Now, let's delve into the concepts presented in the article written by Darby Faubion BSN, RN. The focus here is on dual Midwifery and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) programs and the wealth of information provided about pursuing a career in women's healthcare.
1. Purpose of Dual Midwifery and WHNP Programs:
- These programs prepare advanced practice nurses with expertise in women's health.
- Aimed at providing comprehensive, professional healthcare across a woman's lifespan.
- Emphasis on promoting health and wellness through support, education, and advocacy.
2. Advantages of Dual Women's Health Nurse Practitioner and Midwifery Programs:
- Opportunity to expand the reach of practice by specializing in women's health issues, reproductive health, and childbirth.
- Cost savings by enrolling in schools offering dual Midwifery and WHNP programs.
- Time efficiency as dual programs share some courses, allowing for a quicker degree completion.
- Increased flexibility and better job security by specializing in more than one area of patient care.
3. Duration of Dual Midwifery and WHNP Programs:
- Completion time varies based on the education level at entry.
- MSN-prepared nurses can finish the program in two years (e.g., University of California).
- Programs like those at Rutgers School of Nursing offer three to four-year study paths.
4. Cost of Dual Midwifery and WHNP Programs:
- Cost ranges from $25,000 to over $75,000 depending on the school and entry-level education.
- Example costs include $60,000 for Ohio University and $49,000 for the University of Utah.
5. Clinical Training:
- Guidelines for clinical hours set by each institution, with an average of at least 1,000 clinical hours.
- Clinical practicum hours cover both nurse-midwifery and women's health settings.
6. Admission Requirements:
- Common requirements include a minimum BSN, an active RN license, and a 3.0 GPA.
- Additional requirements may include a professional resume, personal statement, letters of recommendation, and specific coursework (e.g., statistics).
7. Best Dual Midwifery and WHNP Programs for 2023:
- Examples include Ohio State University, University of California-San Francisco, University of Illinois at Chicago, Rutgers, University of Utah, and Georgetown University.
- Programs offered include Master's Entry, MSN, BSN to DNP, and online or hybrid options.
8. Career Opportunities After Completion:
- Graduates can pursue roles such as Midwife/Women's Health Practitioner, Birthing Center WHNP/Midwife Specialist, or even transition into education as a University/College Professor.
In conclusion, the article provides a comprehensive guide for individuals considering a career in women's healthcare through dual Midwifery and WHNP programs, offering insights into program advantages, duration, costs, clinical training, admission requirements, and potential career paths.
