Nursing Practice, DNP

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

The DNP program offers the terminal practice degree in Nursing Practice and is designed to meet our statewide demand for a highly competent nursing workforce equipped with the skills to ensure the delivery of safe, quality nursing care in Hawaiʻi. The program incorporates the AACN Essentials for Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2021), NONPF Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies Content (NONPF, 2017) and the AACN Common Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Doctoral-Level Competencies (AACN, 2017).

The DNP competency-based curriculum educates students to practice at the top of their education through clinical placements focused on primary and specialty care available across the Hawaiian Islands, including neighbor islands, education in leadership and health policy, and cumulates with the completion of the Doctor of Nursing Practice project.

The program strives to provide an encompassing, holistic, rigorous, competency-based curriculum and program that is student-centered. Students are the drivers of the program and contribute to shaping their education through leadership, evaluations, and alumni relations.

DNP Scholarly Project

The DNP Scholarly Project demonstrates critical and systematic processes outlined in the AACN essentials (AACN, 2021). A series of evidence-based practice courses that focus on successful practice change, design, implementation, evaluation and dissemination, are required to fulfill the DNP Scholarly Project. The DNP Scholarly Project is designed to address a practice issue affecting groups of patients, health care organizations, health care systems or professional organizations to improve health outcomes. The final products of the DNP Scholarly Project are an evidence-based practice paper and presentation and poster presentation which demonstrate how the student has met the AACN essentials. The DNP Scholarly Project requires 6 credits, including 270 post-baccalaureate practicum hours.

DNP Degree Programs

Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

For RNs with a bachelor’s degree or higher
Fall (August) Admission only
Full-time cohort program

The Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) specialty prepares students to provide comprehensive primary, acute, and chronic care services to young, older, and elderly adult patients in a variety of community and long-term care settings.

Special emphasis is placed on the delivery of care to vulnerable populations in a changing health system. The program consists of core advanced practice registered nurse courses with specialty courses in adult-gerontology health. The specialty requires 77 credits, including 765 supervised clinical hours. This specialty involves a full-time, cohort model designed to be completed in 3 years (8 semesters).

Family Nurse Practitioner

For RNs with a bachelor’s degree or higher
Fall (August) Admission only
Full-time cohort program

The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specialty prepares nurses to meet the primary care needs of individuals and families across the life span. Family nurse practitioners provide comprehensive, primary care services to patients of all ages within the context of family and community. Special emphasis is placed on the delivery of care to vulnerable populations in a changing health system. The program consists of core advanced practice registered nurse courses with specialty courses in family health. The specialty requires 77 credits, including 765 supervised clinical hours.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

For RNs with a bachelor’s degree or higher
Fall (August) Admission only
Full-time cohort program

The PMHNP track in the DNP Program prepares nurses to provide holistic care to individuals, families or groups with common, acute or chronic mental health problems. Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners provide comprehensive primary care and psychiatric-mental health services to patients of all ages within the use of advanced clinical judgment and practice to assess, diagnose, plan, implement, intervene, manage and evaluate holistic plans of care—including treatment with psychotropic medications; individual, group and family psychotherapy; crisis intervention; case management and consultation. the program consists of core advanced practice registered nurse courses with specialty courses in psychiatric-mental health. The specialty requires 75 credits, including 810 supervised clinical hours.

Post-Master’s in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

For APRNs with a master’s degree or higher
Fall (August) Admission only
Full-time cohort program

This pathway is for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse that has an earned master’s degree in another specialty that desires to attain the DNP with specialization as a PMHNP. The PMHNP track in the DNP Program prepares nurses to provide holistic care to individuals, families or groups with common, acute or chronic mental health problems. Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners provide comprehensive primary care and psychiatric-mental health services to patients of all ages within the use of advanced clinical judgment and practice to assess, diagnose, plan, implement, intervene, manage and evaluate holistic plans of care—including treatment with psychotropic medications; individual, group and family psychotherapy; crisis intervention; case management and consultation. the program consists of core advanced practice registered nurse courses with specialty courses in psychiatric-mental health. The specialty requires 63 credits including, 810 supervised clinical hours.

Post-Master’s in Organizational Leadership

For RNs with a master’s degree or higher
Fall (August) Admission only
Full- or part-time cohort program

The Post-Master’s in Organizational Leadership program is a part-time, online cohort program. The amount of time and number of credits required to complete the program will vary with the student’s previous education and professional experience. The post-master’s program is designed to meet the statewide demand for a highly competent nursing workforce equipped with the skills to ensure the delivery of safe, quality nursing care in Hawaiʻi.

Special emphasis is placed on leadership and implementation of evidence-based practice in nursing and healthcare. The program consists of courses that develop the skills needed to lead teams and develop systems of care that influence health outcomes. The curriculum includes the completion of 6 credits/270 supervised DNP project hours. Students may receive course credit by submitting a portfolio demonstrating achievement of the learning outcomes. The supervised clinical hours with the DNP project hours complete the 1,000 supervised hours required to obtain the DNP degree.

UH Mānoa Shidler College of Business, Distance Learning EMBA - Health Care Management Track to DNP

For RNs with a master’s degree or higher
Fall (August) Admission only
Full- or part-time cohort program

This pathway begins with a program of study that allows students to obtain an MBA degree through the UH Mānoa Shidler College of Business. The EMBA-HC is a two-year program. For information about the application process, please refer to UH Mānoa Shidler Business College’s website at shidler.hawaii.edu/distance-emba/healthcare.

Shidler EMBA-HC graduates can enroll in UH Mānoa Nursing to obtain their DNP degree. The curriculum includes the completion of 6 credits/270 supervised DNP project hours. Additional courses and/or credit hours may be required depending on the entering student’s documentation of previously completed post-baccalaureate practicum/fieldwork. Documentation of post-bachelor’s credit hours for students who complete healthcare practicum/fieldwork in the Shidler MBA curriculum includes submission of an electronic portfolio for review to the DNP program to ensure DNP Essentials and completion of the 1,000 post-bachelor’s supervised hours required for the DNP degree.