WHNP-BC - Womens Health Care Nurse Practitioner

The Women’s Healthcare Nurse Practitioner Certification (WHNP-BC) is offered by the National Certification Corporation (NCC). This certification is designed for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) who have completed a graduate degree in nursing. With this certification, nurse practitioners can work in a hospital or clinical setting, providing care to women from adolescents through menopause. Women’s Healthcare Nurse Practitioners provide a wide range of services to women including, wellness checks, prenatal care, wellness counseling, and more. 

The Women’s Healthcare Nurse Practitioner (WHNP-BC) certification aims to ensure that advanced practice nurses have the knowledge and skills to demonstrate entry-level competence as Women’s Health Nurse practitioners. Certification helps keep the standard of practice universal to ensure best practice across the board. This certification is ideal for anyone who hopes to work with women in an Obstetric/Gynecological setting as a nurse practitioner. 

Education Requirements

To become a Women’s Healthcare Nurse Practitioner, you must first complete an undergraduate nursing degree and pass the board exams to become a registered nurse. You’ll then have to complete a graduate degree as a nurse practitioner. This can either be a Master’s or Doctoral degree. Most graduate programs require that you first gain experience working as a registered nurse before applying. 

Cost

$325, includes a non-refundable $50 application fee and a $275 testing fee. 

Exam Format

The certification exam consists of 175 multiple choice questions, and test-takers have three hours to complete it. Of the 175 questions, 25 are unscored and used to gather data, while 150 are scored. This computer-based exam can either be taken at a testing center or from your home computer via Live Remote Proctor (LRP). 

Eligibility 

Eligibility requirements for the Women’s Healthcare Nurse Practitioner Certification include the following:

• A current and active nursing license

• Successful completion of a graduate degree in nursing from an accredited college 

• Submission of diploma and official college transcripts

Your graduate program must also involve at least 200 teaching hours and 600 clinical hours related to women’s health care specifically. 

Application Process

Once you’ve determined that you meet the eligibility requirements for the Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner Certification exam, you can begin the application process. 

1. Submit your application online through the NCC website. 

2. Look out for a confirmation email after you’ve completed your application – you should receive one within 30 minutes. 

3. Your application will be reviewed and eligibility will be confirmed. The review process can take up to two weeks. 

4. Once your application has been approved you will receive instructions on how to sign up and register to take the exam. You have to sign up to take the exam within 30 days of being approved.

Reference the NCC Registration Catalog for more information on application and test-taking.

Once you’ve obtained your certification as a Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner, you’ll be ready to start making an impact in the lives of women of all ages. As a WHNP-BC, there is a variety of different settings in which you can work. Many nurse practitioners find work in a hospital or clinical setting. You will likely work with patients who range in age from adolescence to adulthood, providing a wide range of services, including:

• Wellness exams

• Breast cancer screenings

• Fertility testing

• Contraceptive care

• Prenatal and postnatal care

Renewal for the Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner Certification is required every three years.

Renewal Fees

• Fees are based on a quarterly system, depending on when certification was granted.

• Dates: March 15th, June 15th, September 15th or December 15th

• Maintenance fees = $100

• Discounts if using Continuing Education (CE) modules:

  • 15 hours = $80

  • 30  hours = $70

  • 45 hours = $60

• Alternate maintenance fee if continuing competency assessment is not completed = $175

The NCC offers resources for exam candidates, including:

• Candidate Guide

• Testing Methods

• Registration Catalog

• Practice Test (Cost: $35)

The NCC also offers the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP-BC).