What the Heck is a WHNP?
What the heck are those letters behind my name? And why do I have any qualifications to talk to you all about sexual health?
Great questions!
What are the letters behind your name?
WHNP stands for Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. And most Nurse Practitioners put BC behind their name. This stands for Board Certified, aka you passed your boards and are certified in your state. You’ll also see the letters APN pretty often. This stands for Advanced Practice Nurse and is another generic name for Nurse Practitioner.
What is a Nurse Practitioner?
A Nurse Practitioner is a Nurse who went back to school and got their Master’s degree. We’re sometimes called “mid-level providers” or “physician extenders.” This is a way of saying we are not doctors. We didn’t go to medical school, but we have different medical experience and training. We can see patients in a clinic or hospital setting, prescribe medications, order and interpret labs/tests, and do small procedures (typically in the office). This role is important since there are simply not enough doctors to see every person who needs medical care.
Wait, so are you like a PA (Physician Assistant)?
Kind of. Nurse practitioners HAVE TO go to nursing school, typically work as a nurse for a few years, and then go back to school and get a Master’s degree or higher. Physician Assistants typically do not have a Nursing degree. They can have a different Bachelor’s degree, and then go back to school for their PA program, which is Master’s or higher. In some states you may see a greater concentration of PAs in some specialties (like dermatology or orthopedics), but it can depend on the state and the area.
So what makes you qualified to talk about sexual health?
My entire Master’s program focused on women’s health, the female menstrual cycle, pregnancy, postpartum, male sexual health, sexually transmitted infections, and so much more! I have been practicing for more than 5 years in a variety of different settings including: Infertility and IVF, Family Planning, and Gynecology. I also complete continuing education each year focused on sexual health, go to conferences, and am continually learning new skills. Right now I’m finishing up my colposcopy training (how to biopsy a cervix when a cervical cancer screening is abnormal). And I love patient education! That’s why I’m here. And I hope you all learn something. :)
If you have any more questions about what my credentials mean, or any sexual health questions, send me an email at noawkwardquestion@gmail.com, or head over to my Instagram of Facebook page!
