Who regulates a Nurse Practitioner's practice?
Nurse practitioners practice under rules and regulations developed by state boards of nursing. In addition, nurse practitioners are nationally board certified through organizations such as the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (www.aanp.org) and Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (www.npwh.org).
How does a nurse's care compare to a physician's care?
Nurse practitioners are clinicians who blend clinical expertise in diagnosing and treating health conditions with an added emphasis on disease prevention and health management. Nurse practitioners bring a comprehensive perspective to health care. Physicians are trained to treat complex health problems, which may require complicated treatment or surgery.
The high-quality care provided by nurse practitioners is well known. Consumer and government studies have shown that nurse practitioners are skilled clinicians and patient educators. Furthermore, consumers value the nurse practitioner’s sensitivity to patient’s needs and their ability to decrease the mystery surrounding health care.
Joining Partners in Women's Healthcare in the Fall of 2022!
Jessica received her Bachelor and Master of Nursing degrees from Rush University in Chicago, Illinois. During her time in Chicago, and later in the Philadelphia area, she served as a nurse in antepartum, postpartum, and OB triage units. Jessica's experience as a nurse instilled an appreciation for the privilege, challenge, and joy of working to improve health outcomes for women and their families. Prior to joining Partners in Women's Healthcare, Jessica worked as a nurse practitioner in an urgent care setting for seven years, serving a diverse patient population of all ages and with a variety of health needs.Outside of work, Jessica enjoys staying active, which isn't too hard with three young children to keep her and her husband busy.
Danielle has always had a passion for nursing and the Women’s Health and Labor and Delivery field. She received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Penn State University in 2015. She worked in Labor and Delivery at Harrisburg Hospital for 6 years. Then, Danielle continued her education and received her Masters of Science in Nursing from Drexel University in 2021. She is certified as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner by the National Certification Corporation.
Danielle lives with her husband, son and two dogs. She is a devoted Penn State Football fan with season tickets to the games. In her spare time, Danielle enjoys traveling the world with her husband, going to Disney World, relaxing on the beach, and crafting.
Jen was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. She graduated from Northeastern Hospital School of Nursing/Penn State University in 1995 with a Diploma in Nursing. In 2012, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Penn State University. She then went on to receive her Master of Science degree in Nursing from Drexel University, Cum Laude, in 2015.
Jen is a Certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and she is also certified in External Fetal Monitoring by the National Certification Corporation. For 2 years she worked as an RN in Maternity and Labor & Delivery at Episcopal Hospital (Philadelphia) and 17 years at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. Jen then began working for the Women's Health Center of Lebanon as a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner for 3 1/2 years before joining Partners in Women's Healthcare.
Her memberships include the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, & Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH) and Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (PCNP). She is a former member of Sigma Theta Tau International, (STTI), Nu Eta Chapter (Nursing Honor Society).
Her areas of interest are adolescent gynecology and obstetrics.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Brian, and their two Jack Russell dogs (Jackie & Rustle) as well as the rest of her extended family.
What are midwives?
We are midwives and we want to tell you who we are and what we do. As certified nurse-midwives (CNM), we are educated in both nursing and midwifery.
In order to become certified, the midwife must first become a registered nurse and then complete advanced courses of study in women’s health and midwifery through an accredited education program. Nurse-midwives are certified by a national examination and held to rigorous standards of practice by the American College of Nurse-Midwives. We work closely with physicians who are always available to help you.
What can a nurse-midwife do for you?
More and more women are finding that nurse-midwives offer personal health care. We provide information to help you with all the choices for living a healthy life.
We do gynecologic care, which includes contraceptive counseling, screening, and treatment (known to many as annual exam), preconception care, and perimenopausal or postmenopausal care. During pregnancy, we will regularly monitor you and your baby's health. We will take time to answer your questions and provide information about what to expect throughout your pregnancy.
During labor, we will be there with you to help you and your baby. Should labor deviate from the expected course, a physician is always available. After the baby is born, we provide advice on all manner of things including, but not limited to, breast or bottle-feeding and self-care. When you leave the hospital, you can always contact us with your concerns.
If you would like to find out more about midwives in general, visit www.midwife.org, but if you really want to find out about us, come meet us in person. We look forward to it!
All of our Nurse-Midwives have been certified by the American College of Nurse Midwives and are current members.
Elaine graduated from Messiah College with a Bachelor’s in Nursing degree in 1987. She was a labor and delivery nurse for a total of 17 years, starting out in Harrisburg, PA. She moved to Dayton, OH two years later when she became a Medical Officer in the USAF. Elaine served on active duty for four years before separating from the military. She then worked in several civilian hospitals in Dayton as well as Fort Walton Beach, FL, and eventually returned to Harrisburg, PA.
Elaine’s passion for women’s health care, especially obstetrics, was the ultimate reason for advancing her career in Midwifery. Elaine states, “It is a never-ending joy to witness the creation of new families! Delivering the newborn into his/her mother’s waiting arms and seeing the tears of joy and awe on the partner’s face are priceless experiences!”
Elaine received her certification in midwifery from Philadelphia University in 2006. She completed her Master’s in Science degree with emphasis in Midwifery in 2011. She has practiced midwifery in the Harrisburg and Hershey area for the past 17 years.
Elaine is certified through the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) and is a member of the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM).
Spending time with her fiancé and their families is her most favorite thing to do in her free time. Elaine has three children, two of whom are married, and one grandson. He, of course, is the light of her life! She is highly active in their church, attending Sunday services, home group Bible studies, and is a member of various church ministries. They love the beach with their favorite spot being North Myrtle Beach.
Caitlin Hawkins received her Associate of Art in Nursing from Harrisburg Area Community College in 2014. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Eastern University in 2016. She studied at Georgetown University with a dual-focus in Nurse-Midwifery and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and graduated with a Master of Science in 2020.
She received certification as a nurse midwife from the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) and as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) from the National Certification Corporation (NCC). She is a member of the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM).
Caitlin’s passion for women’s health started straight out of nursing school when she worked on the Women’s Inpatient Unit at Harrisburg Hospital. She has since worked on both the post-surgical floor and the Perianesthesia unit at UPMC Pinnacle Harrisburg where she has continued to care for not only women, but all types of patients undergoing surgery.
Her schooling at Georgetown, in particular, has fueled her passion for inclusivity and health equity. Caitlin believes strongly in shared decision making with patients and providing trauma-informed care. Additionally, she strives to be an LGBTQ-inclusive provider.
Caitlin grew up in Steelton and has remained local to the area. She currently lives with her husband, children, and chocolate lab. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, gardening, crocheting, and curling up with a good book.
Joining Partners in Women's Healthcare Spring 2023!
Brianna Latovich received her Bachelor’s in Nursing Science from Pennsylvania College of Technology in 2016. She received her Master’s in Nursing Science, specializing in Nurse-midwifery, in 2021. She is certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) and is a member of the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM). Brianna’s nursing experience includes med-surg, peri op, and labor and delivery. She spent two years working as a labor and delivery nurse at Geisinger Medical Center while working on her Master’s degree. Her most recent experience includes working as a Certified Nurse Midwife at Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center. Her primary focus was working with women during labor and delivery, but also spent time working with women throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period. Brianna currently lives in the York Haven area with her boyfriend and two siberian huskies. Her hobbies include reading, knitting, cooking/baking, and walking her dogs.
Lauren grew up as a “military brat”. This led to her growing up in California, Ohio, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, before beginning her nursing program at Marywood University in Scranton, Pa. Lauren graduated with her Bachelors of Science in Nursing in 2011. In that same year she commissioned into the United States Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant. She continued to be an active duty, labor and delivery nurse for eight and a half years. During her time on active duty, she lived and worked at bases in Virginia, Alaska, and Japan. In 2019, she completed her Master’s of Science in Nurse-Midwifery at Bethel University in Minneapolis, MN, and became certified as a Nurse-Midwife by the American Midwifery Certification Board. She separated from the military as a Captain, in December of 2019 to settle down in the Harrisburg area.
She had a baby girl in April of 2018. And her daughter is her entire world. After all, her daughter made her a mother and showed her a whole new meaning of life.
Lauren has always been passionate for caring for women and loves to be with women in every aspect of their health care needs. She is particularly passionate about helping women through pregnancy and giving them strength through childbirth. With her becoming a new mother herself, she became even more passionate about assisting women into motherhood.