Brittaney Swift, WHNP

Care for women through all phases of life

Women's health runs the gamut from a first gynecologic visit through pregnancy to family planning and the hormonal shifts of midlife and beyond. Brittaney E. Swift, MSN, WHNP-BC, has spent more than 20 years walking alongside patients through all of it.

A women's health nurse practitioner with VCU Health OB/GYN team, Brittaney provides obstetric and gynecologic care to women of every age, with expertise in perimenopause, menopause and hormone therapy. “I am passionate about guiding women through every phase of life,” she says.

Alongside routine well-woman and obstetric care, Brittaney manages a broad range of gynecologic conditions: polycystic ovary syndrome, menstrual disorders, and perimenopausal and postmenopausal concerns. She provides birth control counseling and procedures including IUD and Nexplanon insertion, as well as preconception and fertility counseling for patients hoping to become pregnant. She is also trained in colposcopy and other gynecologic cancer diagnostics.

Brittaney’s expertise in midlife hormonal health sets her apart. Before joining VCU Health, she managed the bulk of the peri- and postmenopausal care for a large Austin, Texas, OB/GYN practice and worked with hormone and wellness clinics to deepen that focus. She recently became a certified menopause practitioner through The Menopause Society, which supports her in building personalized treatment plans.

However specialized the care, Brittaney's starting point is always the same. "Every woman I treat is an individual and has her own story," she says. "I do not just treat a lab result or an imaging finding; I treat a patient. The labs and imaging guide us, but the patient comes first." Patients describe her as efficient while still making them feel heard and never dismissing their concerns.

That instinct for partnership extends to Brittaney’s colleagues. She partners with physicians and advanced practice nurses across disciplines to care for patients with high-risk or complex conditions. She values the teaching-hospital environment that makes those conversations routine. "Strong communication serves to provide excellent outcomes in patient care," she says.

As a labor and delivery nurse at a high-risk, high-volume hospital in Dallas, Brittaney worked alongside physicians who encouraged her to advance her training. "I was motivated to provide care to women across the lifespan," she says. She went on to earn her Master of Science in Nursing with a women's health nurse practitioner specialty certification from Texas Woman's University, following a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is board-certified as a women's health nurse practitioner and completed colposcopy training at UT MD Anderson in Houston.

Increasingly, Brittaney is turning her experience toward the clinicians coming up behind her, mentoring newer nurse practitioners. "I hope to lead my VCU team by example, encouraging them to grow as clinicians," she says. "I am a fierce advocate for patients and colleagues alike."

Outside of work, Brittaney spends a lot of time on the sidelines of her kids' soccer matches. She loves the outdoors and dreams of spending more time in the mountains but is happy to settle for a calm beach and a good book.