This advanced course of study is designed to prepare nurses who have earned a master's degree in nursing for careers as Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioners (WHCNP). Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioners provide comprehensive primary health care services to women, from adolescence to the elder years, in a variety of health care settings. WHCNPs assess the status and problems of women related to reproductive health, pregnancy and birth, and menopause, as well as other primary healthcare problems, and provide continuing care to women experiencing acute and stable chronic health problems.
Individuals who have earned a master's degree in nursing from accredited programs, are currently licensed as RNs, and have at least one year's clinical experience preferably in women's health care are eligible to apply.
NOTE: Potential applicants who have an MPH in public health nursing accredited by NLNAC must contact the certification organization in their selected specialty area to determine their eligibility and/or need to petition the certification organization for permission to sit for the examination upon completion of a postmaster's program.
Potential applicants who currently hold national certification as a nurse practitioner and an earned master's degree in a related field will need to contact the certification organization in their newly selected specialty area to determine their eligibility or ability to petition the Certification program for permission to sit for the examination upon completion of a postmaster's program.
In addition, all applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Board of Nursing in the state in which they intend to practice, to determine the procedure (if any) to receive approval to practice as a nurse practitioner with an MPH or a master's in another related field. This procedure varies widely by state.
You will be asked to submit the following documents with your application:
Applicants must complete a Health Assessment course, approved by the School of Nursing, within two years prior to enrollment in the clinical courses (unless the applicant is currently practicing as a nurse practitioner). Please refer to the Post-Master's application instructions (Health Assessment Skills Evaluation Form) for detailed information on this requirement.
The program carries approximately 25-30 graduate credits, depending on prior coursework; all courses are taken with graduate students in the Master of Science in Nursing program. Postmaster's students meet with the advanced practice coordinator in their specialty area to review all coursework taken during their master's program. Additional or alternative coursework may be recommended based on this evaluation, specifically in the areas of health promotion, health care policy and the advanced practice role. Students are expected to complete the program sequentially; students who drop out are generally not eligible to return in the following year. The classes students attend are regular University classes. The University reserves the right to cancel classes if enrollment is insufficient.
Prospective students should request an unofficial evaluation of prior MSN coursework for NP areas. The unofficial evaluation for prior MSN coursework form should be attached to copies of your Master’s transcript and sent to the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Nursing address on the form.
Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner faculty members are sensitive to students' learning needs by employing a variety of instructional modalities including seminar or classroom settings, on-line and/or Web-enhanced instruction. As a result, the courses may be offered in traditional classroom settings and/or via distance technologies.
For students who begin during the Fall semester, the program is designed to be completed within four semesters and one intervening summer, beginning in the fall semester.
As a non-degree program, the Post-Master’s Certificate Program is “housed” within the Department of Part-Time Classroom Studies, part of the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education at UNC-Chapel Hill. Upon acceptance into the program, you will be sent registration instructions for the first semester. Tuition must be submitted at the time of registration. Tuition is subject to annual increases by the University’s Board of Governors. The Post-MSN Program is a part-time program; however, a matriculated student may enroll full-time for one semester over the course of the program.
You may consult the University Cashier’s Office costs of attendance for specific information about tuition for the Post-Master’s Program (Refer to the figures for Part-Time Classroom Studies-Graduate). Additionally, all clinical courses are subject to a $150 practicum fee (a listing of these courses can be found on last page of the cost of attendance document).
Note: Students are fully responsible for all expenses for clinical-related travel.
The deadline for applying for fall admission is March 31 st. Those applicants whose course plan includes non-clinical courses may apply for spring admission by submitting the application no later than October 1 st.
Students who satisfactorily complete the WHCNP Program are eligible for approval by the joint committee of the North Carolina Board of Nursing and North Carolina Board of Medical Examiners to practice as a nurse practitioner in North Carolina. Students are also eligible to take the certification examination of the National Certification Corporation to become certified as WHCNPs.
In the first fall semester, students take N726; in the first spring semester, students take N810 and N720. In the summer between the first and second year, students take N825. In the second fall, students take N833; in the second spring semester, students take N838.
Courses involve both classroom content and clinical practicums. Clinical practicums involve 4 to 10 hours per week during regular working hours. There is also work involved in preparation for class and, clinical as well as for class assignments.
N838 is an intensive practicum that involves additional hours of clinical, depending on the clinical placement setting and the students' goals for completion time. There may also be clinical conferences associated with the practicum.
Clinical placements are selected to give students a broad exposure to health care of women. These include group and private practices, health maintenance organizations, health departments, home health agencies, rural clinics, and other agencies and programs that specialize in care of women.
Noreen Esposito, EdD, WHNP, FNP
Cathie Fogel, Ph.D, RNC (WHCNP), FAAN
Regina McCarthy, MS, CNM, CPNP
Margarete Sandelowski, PhD, RN, FAAN
School of Nursing
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Carrington Hall, CB #7460
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7460
For general information on the School of Nursing and application materials, contact:
Office of Admissions and Student Services
(919) 966-4260
nursing@unc.edu
