Nurse practitioner organization renamed
The National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Reproductive Health in Washington, DC, has changed its name to the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH). The new name reflects the wide range of women’s health issues addressed by the organization over the last several years, says Chris Knutson, MSN, RNC, board chairperson.
Founded in 1980, NPWH has grown from a grassroots group of nurse practitioners working in family planning clinics to a nationally recognized organization. "The concept of women’s health has dramatically changed since we were first founded," says Susan Wysocki, RNC, NP, president of NPWH. "In 1980, women’s health was reproductive health, but that is no longer true. We now know much more information about such issues as women and heart disease, women and depression, and women and autoimmune diseases, to cite a few examples."
NPWH’s mission also has been updated, she says. "While it seems obvious to us as nurse practitioners, not everyone knows that nursing uses a holistic approach. Therefore, our new mission is explicit in defining health to be inclusive of a individual’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. We also maintain our strong belief that women should make their own choices about their health."
NPWH will continue to offer expert information on such topics as contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, menopause, and other reproductive health issues.
For more on NPWH, contact Elena Berger, NPWH membership coordinator, at 503 Capitol Court, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20002. Phone: (202) 543-9693. Fax: (202) 543-9858. E-mail: [email protected].
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