Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Research Articles

The Future for Women's and Gender-Related Healthcare for Women's Health Nurse Practitioners.

This commentary examines the future of women's health and gender-related healthcare for Women's Health Nurse Practitioners (WHNPs) within the framework of National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health's (NPWH's) mission and vision. Emphasizing the importance of addressing menopause, maternal health, and reproductive health, it discusses the significance of WHNP education, certification, and workforce contributions. Despite their critical role, challenges including recognition as maternity care providers and disseminating WHNP-specific outcomes remain. WHNPs play a vital role in providing comprehensive healthcare for women and gender diverse individuals. Guided by the mission and vision of the NPWH, WHNPs address key priority areas including menopause, maternal health, and reproductive health. However, challenges such as recognition as maternity care providers, publishing outcomes specific to WHNP practice, and collecting comprehensive workforce data persist. To advance women's and gender-related healthcare, concerted efforts are needed to address challenges faced by WHNPs. This includes advocating for recognition within maternity care, promoting the dissemination of WHNP-specific research, and improving workforce data collection. By overcoming these challenges, WHNPs can continue to play a pivotal role in promoting the health and well-being of women and gender diverse individuals, shaping the future of women's health and gender-related healthcare delivery.

Barriers to Nontenure Track Faculty Scholarship in a Research-Intensive University.

Assistant Program Director, Nurse-Midwifery/Women's Health Nurse Practitioner and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Programs (Ms Bradford), and Professor, Director, DNP Graduate Studies (Dr Slota), Georgetown University School of Nursing, Washington, District of Columbia. Correspondence: Ms Bradford, Georgetown University School of Nursing, 3700 Reservoir Rd NW, St. Mary's Hall, Washington, DC 20057 ([email protected]). The authors gratefully acknowledge the contribution of Dr Nancy Crowell for quantitative analyses and the contribution of Dr Diana Burden in the conception and implementation of the study. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citation appears in the printed text and is provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal's website (www.nurseeducatoronline.com). Accepted for publication: April 28, 2023 Early Access: May 25, 2023

Optimizing Care for Military Women: The Value of the Dual-Certified Family and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner.

The number of women in the military has more than tripled over the past 50 years, increasing from 5% in the 1970s to 17% in 2023, making them essential for global health engagement and military operations. Provider competence and confidence are barriers to the consistent availability of preventive, gynecologic, and reproductive services for women across service locations and duty platforms. The Defense Health Board recommends standardizing services and improving the availability and scope of services for women at every point of care. In direct conflict with these recommendations, however, is a congressional call for a drawdown of medical forces, which creates a need for operationally trained clinicians with a broad skill set including comprehensive care for women. Advanced practice registered nurses, such as family and women's health nurse practitioners, are key assets to fill this gap on military medical health-care teams. At the request of the U.S. Air Force, the Graduate School of Nursing at the Uniformed Services University began offering a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) program in 2014. The WHNP curriculum was layered onto the existing Family Nurse Practitioner program so that Family Nurse Practitioner students receive enhanced education in women's health and WHNP students are prepared to meet the holistic, primary care needs of patients across the lifespan in addition to caring for women with obstetric and urogenital health concerns. This article highlights the value of dual-certified Family Nurse Practitioners and WHNPs in the military health-care system. These Uniformed Services University alumni are uniquely prepared to provide comprehensive primary and specialty care for female warfighters across the lifecycle from stable, well-resourced duty stations to austere, operational settings or deployment platforms.

Pregnancy Options Counseling and Abortion Referral Practices Among Colorado Nurse Practitioners, Nurse-Midwives, and Physician Assistants.

Access to abortion is a public health priority. Yet little is known about pregnancy options counseling and abortion referral practices, both essential to timely abortion care, among advanced practice clinicians (APCs; nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives, physician assistants). Data were drawn from a stratified random sample of Colorado APCs, oversampling certified nurse-midwives (CNMs), women's health nurse practitioners (WHNPs), and rural clinicians. Pregnancy options counseling and abortion referral practices were described. Weighted multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine associations between participant characteristics and providing options counseling, referring for abortion, and referring to crisis pregnancy centers. Of 513 participants (response rate 21%), 419 provided pregnancy testing. Only 201(48%) reported they were willing and able to counsel on all 3 options. Religious or personal objection was the primary rationale for unwillingness to present abortion as an option (63%). However, lack of knowledge was the main rationale for unwillingness (64%) and inability to counsel (79%), whereas institutional barriers fueled inability to refer (59%). Although 53% referred for abortion care, 31% referred to crisis pregnancy centers. Characteristics positively associated with providing options counseling included being a CNM or WHNP (odds ratio [OR], 2.73; 95% CI, 1.32-5.66), having received options counseling training (OR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.48-5.43), and feeling adequately trained on abortion counseling (OR, 6.61; 95% CI, 3.62-12.08). Characteristics positively associated with referring for abortion included being a CNM or WHNP (OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.18-4.36), having received options counseling training (OR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.36-4.22), and feeling adequately trained on abortion counseling (OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 2.00-6.11). Only provider type was associated with referring to crisis pregnancy centers; CNMs and WHNPs had the lowest odds (OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.15-0.54). Pregnant patients in Colorado may not receive evidence-based pregnancy options counseling or abortion referrals. Clinician training on options counseling and abortion referrals is needed.

Where Is the Future Heading for Women's Health Nurse Practitioners?

The role of the women's health nurse practitioner (WHNP) has evolved since it was established in the early 1970s. However, the number of WHNP programs and graduates has declined significantly since the specialty's inception, partly because of the perception, and often the reality, that family nurse practitioners have more employment opportunities. This article reviews the evolution of the specialty. Strategies for maintaining the specialty and expertise in this practice area are examined. Considerations for creating opportunities for WHNPs are also discussed.

Emergency contraception knowledge among nurse practitioner students

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the knowledge level of nurse practitioner (NP) students about emergency contraception (EC), and to explore attitudes about EC that may intersect with willingness to prescribe EC. Four hundred and sixty-seven NP students completed a 30-item web-based survey using Vovici survey software. Students who reported formal content on EC in their program of study showed significantly better mean knowledge scores (t= 5.279, df = 459, p < .001). Gaps in NP students' knowledge of EC mechanisms of action, understanding of indications and contraindications were apparent. Younger students (F(3,457) = 4.994, p < .002), those newer to nursing (F(4,456) = 6.641, p < .0005), and women's health NP students (F(4,445) = 3.488, p < .008), demonstrated significantly better knowledge. Attitudes regarding EC appeared to be tied to the respondent's knowledge about EC. Knowledge is an important factor in informing NP practice decisions. Clinicians need accurate, evidence-based knowledge to provide health education and counseling to reproductive age women if unintended pregnancies are to be reduced.

A “Boots on the Ground” Perspective of Caring for the Women and Children in Afghanistan

In 1972 Margarete V. Silberberg wrote about her nursing experience when caring for women at a Kabul, Afghanistan, hospital. Based on my experience during a recent deployment to Afghanistan, I describe providing health care to Afghan women and children as a military Women's Health Nurse Practitioner. Delivering health care presented the threat of physical harm for the health care team and those who received the care. Afghan women and children continue to experience significant cultural, religious, and social circumstances that limit their education, personal development, protection from abuse, and access to health care.

How Outpatient Nurse Practitioners Define the Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity Counseling

This feasibility study used focus groups to explore the barriers and facilitators to physical activity counseling and physical fitness assessment perceived by office-based nurse practitioners (NPs). Two focus groups consisted of family, adult, and women's health NPs. Data were analyzed using Krueger's approach. Four main themes emerged: activity counseling does not stand alone, NP creativity, time constraints/acuity rules, and client constraints/NP frustration and judgments. These NPs did minimal physical fitness assessment but did engage in physical activity counseling.

Women's Health Nursing in the Context of the National Health Information Infrastructure

Nurses must be prepared to participate in the evolving National Health Information Infrastructure and the changes that will consequently occur in health care practice and documentation. Informatics technologies will be used to develop electronic health records with integrated decision support features that will likely lead to enhanced health care quality and safety. This paper provides a summary of the National Health Information Infrastructure and highlights electronic health records and decision support systems within the context of evidence-based practice. Activities at the Columbia University School of Nursing designed to prepare nurses with the necessary informatics competencies to practice in a National Health Information Infrastructure-enabled health care system are described. Data are presented from electronic (personal digital assistant) encounter logs used in our Women's Health Nurse Practitioner program to support evidence-based advanced practice nursing care. Implications for nursing practice, education, and research in the evolving National Health Information Infrastructure are discussed.

Nurse practitioner-client interaction as resource exchange in a women's health clinic: an exploratory study.

Empirical research has thoroughly documented the success of nurse practitioners (NPs) in terms of patient satisfaction and cost-effectiveness. What is missing is the in-depth knowledge of the interactive process through which this is accomplished during a clinic visit. The aim of this study was to understand the special nature and processes of NP and client encounters in the ambulatory primary care context using a resource exchange perspective. An exploratory descriptive design was used to address the following research questions: (i) What do midlife female clients expect in terms of resources to be exchanged prior to a visit with a NP in an ambulatory clinic visit? (ii) What resources are actually exchanged during the clinic visit? (iii) To what extent is there congruence between a woman's expectations and what she is actually receiving from the clinic visit in terms of resources exchanged? The participants included two women health NPs and eight midlife female clients. Data for the study were comprised of audiotaped pre- and postencounter interviews with the clients, audiotapes of the entire clinic visits with the NP and field notes recorded by the researcher of the client visits. Content analysis was conducted using ETHNOGRAPH software. Findings indicated that clients of both NPs had surprisingly similar expectations of receipt of services as well as actual receipt of services. Resources expected and received from the visits included some combination of services, health information, trust, self-disclosure, support, affirmation, time, acceptance and respect. Results of this study suggest that resource exchange theoretical formulations can be applied to NP-client interactions to understand and explain the specific nature of resources the clients expect and receive from a NP during a woman's health clinic visit.

The Women's Health Nurse Practitioner: Evolution of a Powerful Role

Today's women's health nurse practitioner (WHNP) role is the product of more than three decades of growth and change. As the role has evolved, both professional and public perceptions have not always kept up with the latest developments in the nature and scope of the role. It's important for nurses today to understand the differences in advanced practice roles and how advanced practice nurses will continue to shape future trends in health care delivery.