As I enter my second year as the Chair/President of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH), I reflect on the many changes that have taken place in the past 12 months. Change is constant in society, and with change comes growth, which provides an opportunity for the transformation of current structures and ideas. As we embark on 2023, we are uniquely designed and equipped to transform women’s and gender-related healthcare. It is the optimal time to lend our expertise in advocacy, practice, education, and research to ensure women’s and gender-related healthcare continues to improve and reach all patients who need it, helping to maintain the quality of their lives.
Transforming advocacy
Advocacy is at the core of our profession. We must use our voices, positions, power, resources, and networks to advocate on behalf of our profession and, most importantly, the patients we serve. Consider advocating on a local, state, or federal level for issues that will assist you in providing the best care possible for the patients within your respective communities.
Transforming practice
Practice is ever evolving. There are new treatment modalities created regularly for various health conditions impacting the care of women’s and gender-related populations. We must ensure we contribute to practice changes that lead to innovation, sustainability, and positive patient outcomes.
Transforming education
Educating the next generation of advanced practice registered nurses to care for a diverse population of people is critical to our profession. Incorporating new teaching strategies and clinical experience is essential to support our nursing students in navigating the ever-changing healthcare landscape.
Transforming research
Exploring research topics in women’s and gender-related healthcare that have yet to be investigated is crucial to our profession. Please take a deep dive into researching these topic areas to ensure we contribute to the science of our profession and facilitate evidence-based practice through informed research on women’s and gender-related health topics.
Collaboratively and collectively, we have the power to contribute to one or more of these areas in 2023. It also is worth noting that NPWH has five standing committees open to members. These include Policy (advocacy), Education, and Research & Quality Improvement as well as Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (IDE) and Membership. Any NPWH member is eligible to join these committees. If you are interested in joining or finding out more information about a committee, please contact info@npwh.org.
Finally, I encourage you to form work groups, committees, and task forces within your respective organizations to ensure you are transforming one or more of the areas of advocacy, practice, education, and research. Our profession and patients depend on us as leaders in changing women’s and gender-related healthcare for the better. We can make a difference and continue to positively transform the lives of our patients and communities each and every day.
Shawana S. Moore, DNP, MSN, CRNP, WHNP-BC
Chair, NPWH Board of Directors