Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.)

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 Program Director: Alice Davis, Ph.D., APRN (aedavis@hawaii.edu)
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, School of Nursing (UH Hilo SON)
School of Nursing Office
200 W. Kāwili Street
Hilo, HI 96720
Fax: (808) 974-7665

Program Mission

The Doctorate of Nursing practice (DNP) is a program designed to prepare the nurse at an advanced level of nursing science.  The program emphasizes the development of the student’s capacity to impact the clinical setting as leaders and educators and to utilize clinical research to improve and transform health care.  Our program is based on the understanding that nursing provides services which includes the direct care of individual clients, transcultural nursing, management of care for rural populations, administration of nursing systems, and development and implementation of health policy.  In addition, the program will encompass health policy, health economics, cultural diversity, chronic care management, health promotion, and disease prevention in rural communities and will create a cadre of new nursing faculty who can immediately address the nursing faculty shortage.  Advanced practice nurses with practice doctorates will address significant practice issues in a scholarly way, adopt broad system perspectives for health promotion and risk reduction, and act as agents of change that transform client/community care, participate in the on-going evaluation of health care outcomes, and assist in the translation of research that leads to positive nursing practice changes. 

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the practice-focused doctoral degree developed in response to the endorsement of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) position paper recognizing the DNP as the credential for advanced nursing practice.  The DNP is equivalent to entry level professional degrees offered by other health care disciplines including Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) and the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD. opportunities culminating in a practice inquiry project.  The curriculum is based on the AACN essentials of Doctoral education for Advanced Practice Nurses. Students will participate in lectures, seminars, laboratory simulations, and site visits to rural communities. Research methods and evidence based practice provide opportunities for data analysis, research critique, evidence–based presentations, formulation and evaluation of a practice inquiry research project.  At the conclusion of the program, all students will demonstrate competence in the eight essentials of doctoral education, be prepared for their specialty role as an individual health care provider, and be trained for leadership roles within the larger health care system.

Acceptance is granted at the discretion of the Doctor of Nursing Practice. Admissions Committee based on the criteria below.

• UH Graduate Application
• Application fee
• SON Supplemental Application
• Transcripts from all accredited colleges
• Min GPA of 3.0
• Current Hawaii RN License, in addition to current RN license where you intend to practice
• 3 recommendations (two from faculty, one from employer/professional)
• Professional Goal essay
• Interview with graduate faculty
• Current CV/Resume
• Background check (at the time of acceptance into the program)
• Health Clearance: Tuberculosis clearance documentation, documentation for tetanus/diphtheria vaccination received within the last ten years; documentation for hepatitis-B vaccination series or serological evidence of immunity; serological evidence of immunity to mumps, rubella, rubeola, and varicella (at the time of acceptance into the program)

Foreign applicants must also submit:

1. International Graduate Student Supplemental Information Form
2. Official TOEFL score report
3. Completion of the CGFNS Qualifying exam

PROGRAM ENTRY-POINTS

Students have two program entry points to earn the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. 

• The Post Baccalaureate DNP entry point is intended to allow entry into the DNP program for nurses who are not already advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). The program will educate registered nurses to be Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP) with foci in Gerontological Nursing, Transcultural Nursing,and Rural Health Care.
   
• The Post Masters DNP entry point offers nurses with advanced degrees in nursing specialty areas (e.g. education, administration, practice, information systems management, leadership etc…) a doctoral program, which expands their level of practice expertise. 

Further information on the details of fulfilling admissions requirements are available from the DNP Program Admissions office (808) 974-7760 or http://hilo.hawaii.edu/depts/nursing/ or http://hilo.hawaii.edu/studentaffairs/admissions/dnp.php

1. Completion of all graduate courses for the specific entry point enrolled (BSN-DNP or MSN-DNP).
2. Minimum accepted GPA of 3.0 in all graduate courses
3. Successful Completion of 1000 practice hours or portion thereof based on previous practice experience.
4. Successful completion of Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) competencies (BSN-DNP entry point only)
5. Successful completion of a Practice Inquiry Project,
6. Successful presentation of the Practice Inquiry Project at an oral defense.
7. Compliance with UH Hilo rules and regulations for graduation.

Course Sequencing

Post-BSN to FNP/DNP Recommended Class Scheduling

Semester 1 (Fall Year 1)

NURS 618 Epi/Environmental Health (3)
NURS 601 Social Aspects of Health (3)
NURS 602 Information Systems/Technology (3)
Total: 9 credits

Semester 2 (Spring Year 1)

NURS 603 Advanced Clinical Pharmacology (3)
NURS 604 Advanced Clinical Pathophysiology (3)
NURS 605 Advanced Health Assessment (4)
Total: 10 credits

Semester 3 (Summer Year 1)

NURS 606 Rural Health Promotion (3)
NURS 606L Rural Health Promotion L (3)
Total: 6 credits

Semester 4 (Fall Year 2)

NURS 607 Primary Care of Adults (3)
NURS 607L Primary Care of Adults L (3)
NURS 608 Primary Care of Older Adults (3)
NURS 608L Primary Care of Older Adults L (3)
Total: 12 credits

Semester 5 (Spring Year 2)

NURS 609 Primary Care of Women (2)
NURS 609L Primary Care of Women L (2)
NURS 610 Primary Care of Children (2)
NURS 610L Primary Care of Children L (2)
NURS 611 Advanced Research Methods (3)
Total: 11 credits

Semester 6 (Summer Year 2)

NURS 612 Evidence Based Practice (3)
NURS 613 Program Development/Evaluation (3)
Total: 6 credits

Semester 7 (Fall Year 3)

Elective* (3)
NURS 614 System-Based Leadership (3)
NURS 615 Health Policy: Local to Global (4)
Total: 10 credits

Semester 8 (Spring Year 3)

NURS 616 Health Economics (3)
NURS 617 Practice Inquiry/Project (6)
Total: 9 credits

Program Total: 73 credits

*A graduate elective is required.

Non-practice MSNs who wish to follow the FNP/DNP entry-point will follow the Post-BSN to FNP/DNP course schedule.  Possible waivers of specific courses will be determined on a case by case basis.
 

Post-MSN to DNP Recommended Class Scheduling

Semester 1 (Fall Year 1)

NURS 618 Epi/Environmental Health (3)
NURS 601 Social Aspects of Health (3)
NURS 602 Information Systems/Technology (3)
Total: 9 credits

Semester 2 (Spring Year 1)

NURS 611 Advanced Research Methods (3)
NURS 614 System-Based Leadership (3)
NURS 616 Health Economics (3)
Elective* (3)
Total: 12 credits

Semester 3 (Summer Year 1)

NURS 612 Evidence Based Practice (3)
NURS 613 Program Development/Evaluation (3)
Total: 6 credits

Semester 4 (Fall Year 2)

NURS 615 Health Policy: Local to Global (4)
NURS 617 Practice Inquiry/Project (6)
Total: 10 credits

Program Total: 37 credits

*A graduate level elective is required.
*It is strongly recommended that the student take a course in Education Teaching Strategies