Women’s Health/Gender-Related
Women are often at the grassroots of heath in their communities. As independent practitioners, graduates of our program play a unique role in advancing their wellbeing.
Program modality
Although this program is in-person, to accommodate the busy schedules of our students some courses will be offered in an online or hybrid format. All clinical experiences for this program are in-person on Penn’s campus or at affiliated clinical sites.
Our program
The Women’s Health/Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner program focuses on the primary health care needs of women from adolescence through the advanced years, concentrating on promoting and maintaining wellness. We put a premium on research that examines the influences that affect women’s lives, such as public policy, advances in technology, and environmental and socio-cultural factors.
We prepare you for interdependent practice, a care model that emphasizes the unique aspects each health professional brings to the patient. For you, as a nurse practitioner, this involves providing family-centered and comprehensive care to women and their families. We train you to provide care that is shaped by a deep respect for human dignity, an understanding of the nuance of culture, and the woman’s right to self-determination.
All students are required to know and abide by policies and practices stated in the University of Pennsylvania’s Pennbook, Penn Nursing’s MSN Handbook, and the Nurse-Midwifery & Women’s Health/Gender Related Nurse Practitioner Supplemental Guide.
Coursework
Through collaborative classroom settings, specially-designed courses, and top-notch clinical experiences, you’ll study a range of women’s health issues including normal pregnancy, prenatal management, alternative medicine, clinical management of family planning, well-woman health care and menopause, and primary care that’s associated with women’s health. As an added benefit, Penn Nursing arranges and coordinates all clinical experiences and preceptors.
Study options
We offer the program full-time and part-time (2 year fall start, 2 year summer start, or 3 year).
*Please note: BSN students who graduate in May and who are interested in applying to Women’s Health / Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner Program are not eligible to apply to the program full-time of the same year (of their BSN graduation) due to licensure requirements, but can begin part-time fall of the same year, OR can apply direct entry into the Clinical Cohort the following summer.
Certification
After graduation, you’ll be eligible to become certified by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a Women’s Health Care Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP). Successful completion of the program also qualifies you to apply for national certification as a Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner by the National Certification Corporation (NCC).