Women's health care in advanced practice nursing: A professional master's degree program

Abstract

The Professional Master's Program Women's Health in Advanced Practice Nursing has integrated the concepts of advanced practice nursing into a professional master's education. Advanced practice nurses develop further clinical and research competencies than traditional nurses, and their roles include continuous improvement of health care outcomes, inclusion of more individuals in the health care system, and expansion the limits for their practice. Advanced practice nurses play a role on promote innovative measures, create and implement protocols, institutional care processes, and public policies. The program focus on the following three areas: 1) To increase obstetric nurse and midwife's decision-making autonomy in antenatal, natal, and postnatal settings, mainly in the context of home birth and birthing centers; 2) To promote care competencies and creation of policies that cover violence against women; and 3) To propose a transformative practice on women's mental and reproductive health, sexual orientation, and gender identity. This innovative Program is aligned with the movement towards the introduction of Advanced Practice Nursing in Latin America.