Nurse practitioners are advanced practiced registered nurses with master’s degrees in nursing. They usually specialize in a particular area of healthcare such as women’s health, family health or nurse-midwifery. Women’s health nurse practitioners treat women for a variety of health conditions. Some provide primary healthcare services while others provide gynecological or midwifery care. They work in a variety of settings.

womens health nurse practitioner programs in california

A nurse practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse (RN) who has advanced graduate-level education and clinical experience, according to the American College of Nurse Practitioners. These health care professionals are capable of delivering a wide variety of health care services. In order to practice as a nurse practitioner a candidate must hold a current license as a registered nurse, have a graduate degree in a nurse practitioner field and be board certified in a nurse practitioner specialty.

womens health nurse practitioner programs in california

Providing medical care doesn't have to involve becoming a doctor or years of medical school. A physician assistant and nurse practitioner perform the same routine medical care physicians do. However, a physician assistant works under the supervision of a physician. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for a physician assistant was $81,230 in 2008. A nurse practitioner, according to Degree Directory, earns an annual median salary of $85,500.

womens health nurse practitioner programs in california

There are dozens of learning institutions throughout California that offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the nursing field. The programs are approved and overseen by state Board of Registered Nursing, which ensures that the programs comply with regulatory requirements. The BRN does not, however, oversee advance-practice nursing-degree programs.

womens health nurse practitioner programs in california

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are advanced registered nurses (RNs) who have achieved additional certification after becoming a registered nurse. According to the Mayo Clinic, they helped to fill a shortage of physicians that began in the mid-1960s. As such, they are often able to prescribe medicine depending on where they work.

womens health nurse practitioner programs in california