Hawaii Nurse Practitioner Programs

Jennifer Trimbee

Written by Jennifer Trimbee

BA Duquesne University, Nursing Diploma UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing

Updated & Fact Checked: 11.30.2024

Research shows that Hawaii has a shortage of nearly 800 full-time physicians. Many of the surrounding neighboring islands are significantly medically underserved, with residents flying to the Big Island for care. Nurse practitioners are specially trained advanced practice nurses prepared to step in and fill these critical care gaps.

In Hawaii, nurse practitioners have full practice authority. They can assess, diagnose, and treat patients, including prescribing medications. NPs can work in a variety of settings with a wide range of patients, even going into private practice if that’s what they’re interested in.

Hawaii may be a small state, but it offers plenty of opportunities. For professional networking, there are organizations like the Hawai’i American Nurses Association, Hawaii Association of Professional Nurses, and the Hawaii Center for Nursing. Most of the large hospitals are located in larger cities, like Queen’s Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center in Honolulu and Adventist Health Castle in Kailua, but there are employment opportunities all over the state. 

If you’re considering going to school to pursue a career as an NP in Hawaii, there are many exciting ways to fill your spare time. Hawaii is home to the world’s most active volcanoes, countless beaches, and exciting opportunities for outdoor adventures. Whether you’re interested in surfing, snorkeling, whale watching, touring a coffee farm, or learning more about the state’s unique history, you’ll find plenty of reasons to stay and work in the Aloha State.

In Hawaii, there are three universities that offer NP degrees. Below, we detail these schools and the programs they offer.

Program Overview:
Chaminade is the only Catholic University in Hawaii. It was founded in 1955 as a two-year college, growing rapidly over the years and adding master’s programs in 1977. Doctorate-level nursing programs and post-doctoral certificates are offered through the School of Nursing and Health Professions.

The school offers two DNP tracks: a BSN to DNP FNP and a BSN to DNP PNP. These programs are designed for advanced practice nurses and use a technology-enriched approach to help future NPs address the healthcare needs of the community. DNP programs at Chaminade are designed to be flexible. Online courses are structured in 15-week terms, and students must come to campus several times throughout the program for multi-day in-person immersions.

Chaminade also offers post-doctoral certificate programs for nurses who already have a doctoral degree but wish to practice as an NP in another specialty. Both the Post-Doctoral FNP Certificate and Post-Doctoral PNP Certificate offer online classes with an annual on-campus intensive, and students can finish the 18-credit, 630-clinical-hour program in a year.

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Program Overview:
Hawaii Pacific University was formed from three smaller schools and gives students a traditional college experience in the Aloha State. It offers multiple campuses, including a downtown campus in the heart of Honolulu’s business district, the Makapu’u Campus on the site of the Oceanic Institute, and satellite campuses on multiple military installations, including on the island of O‘ahu and Pearl Harbor Naval Base. 

The nursing school is located on the downtown campus. It has an innovative simulation center where students can perfect their critical thinking, clinical, and teamwork skills using high-fidelity mannequins designed to respond realistically to medical interventions. Students also use wearable hands-on simulators that provide interactive training opportunities for skills like inserting IVs and dressing wounds.

HPU offers several NP tracks, with options both online and on campus. Nurses who wish to pursue an FNP or AGNP in acute care can attend the program in person or online. The in-person 45-credit BSN to FNP track is face-to-face, though some classes may be offered in hybrid or online formats. Classes are generally scheduled two afternoons a week for the full-time program. Students complete didactic care courses before starting practicums, and practicum courses are completed in the summer. The BSN to FNP Online track also has 45 credits with 500 clinical hours, and all classes are online and offered in a mobile-friendly format.

The in-person BSN to AGNP Acute Care and BSN to AGNP Acute Care Online programs are offered in similar formats, but these programs are 46 credits and 600 clinical hours.

HPU also offers post-master’s options. The Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to FNP  and Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGNP Acute Care are offered in-person and online. Credit and clinical requirements depend on previous education and experience.

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Program Overview:
The University of Hawaii at Manoa was established in 1907 and is the oldest and largest campus in the state university system. The Manoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing began as a one-year public health nursing program for nurses who graduated from hospital schools of nursing in 1932 and began offering bachelor’s degrees in 1952. Master’s degrees followed in 1965, with the family nurse practitioner programs beginning in 1993. 

The Family Nurse Practitioner and Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner programs began admitting students in 2015, and both are still offered by the university today. Both the BSN to DNP FNP and BSN to DNP AGNP Primary Care are 77 credits with 765 clinical hours and are designed to be complete in three years. 

Students in the nursing programs at the University of Hawaii at Manoa get hands-on experience in the Translational Health Science Simulation Center, an 8,000-square-foot facility. The Center was designed in partnership with major healthcare systems in the state to prepare students to work in the region. It has a ten-bed unit with mid-fidelity mannequins, bedside electronic health records, computerized medication dispensing units, and high-fidelity mannequins, including Sim Man 3G, pediatric HAL, and Harvey Cardiopulmonary Simulator. 

Students also get unique experiences using telehealth technology, task trainers, role-playing, and computer-based simulators. The University of Hawaii at Manoa also prepares students for their future careers with HealthCAST (Collaborative Acting Simulation Training), a partnership with the Department of Theatre & Dance in which actors play the roles of patients and family members receiving simulated care and then provide feedback to the students. Graduate students participate in HealthCAST as a part of their teaching assistantships, and the school even partners with the scenic design and makeup departments to make the simulations as realistic as possible.

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NP Programs in Other States