A Feminist Framework for Graduate Education in Women's Health

Graduate programs in the area of women's health have focused primarily on childbearing issues. Titles of programs such as Parent-Child Nursing, Maternal-Newborn Nursing, and Maternal-Child Nursing suggest a focus on reproduction and reproductive organs. It cannot be assumed that programs presume a feminist framework or produce graduates who are women-centered and look beyond reproductive issues. It is essential that graduate education in women's health encompasses the values of feminism and women-centered philosophy. Feminist theory, as a world view of women, brings to nursing the underpinnings for a conceptual framework in women's health. Women's health is committed to health promotion, maintenance, and restoration of the whole person through women-centered practice. The graduate curriculum provides students with the philosophy and tools for advanced nursing practice; therefore graduate curricula in women's health must include two important purposes. The first purpose is refocusing the curriculum on the whole person-woman, not solely on obstetrics and gynecology. The second purpose is socialization of students towards feminist practice, in the profession, in clinical practice, and in research.