For RNs who have a Bachelor’s or Higher Degree
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) DNP Program – Advancing Mental Health Access and Healing Across Hawai‘i
Our Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program equips nurses with the advanced clinical expertise and judgment needed to provide compassionate holistic mental health care to individuals, families and groups across the life span.
Through diverse and immersive learning experiences in Hawaii, students develop skills to deliver exceptional, evidence-based psychiatric-mental health care while honing leadership abilities. Graduates are empowered to drive meaningful change within healthcare systems and collaborate effectively as part of interdisciplinary teams.
- Advanced clinical practice skills to care for the psychiatric-mental health needs across the lifespan
- Comprehensive mental health evaluations, diagnosing psychiatric disorders, and creating individualized care plans – psychopharmacological medication management, psychotherapeutic interventions, evidence-based practice and quality improvement, clinical leadership at organizational/systems level, and interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork to improve patient outcomes
- Develop the leadership acumen to drive organizational success and lead interprofessional teams with confidence and impact.
- Empower yourself as a nurse leader, broaden your expertise, and help address the critical mental health needs of our community.
Top Program Benefits
- Gain essential organizational leadership skills, empowering you to lead interprofessional teams in tackling complex challenges and delivering exceptional, high-quality care.
- Clinical placements coordinated by UH Manoa School of Nursing with expert clinicians across diverse healthcare settings in Hawai’i, including rural and neighbor island experiences, broadening your impact on varied populations.
- Personalized support from dedicated program advisors and experienced faculty with active practice experience committed to preparing Hawaii’s future PMHNPs.
- Hybrid learning, cohort model to support an optimized educational experience.
- Meets the educational requirements for national PMHNP board certification examination.
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Program Description
The Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is a full-time, cohort-based DNP pathway designed to be completed in three years (eight semesters). This 75-credit program prepares registered nurses to become highly skilled, independent psychiatric providers, capable of delivering comprehensive, holistic mental health care across the lifespan—from childhood to older adulthood, including care for individuals, families, and groups.
Helping to ensure that individuals across urban and rural areas of Hawai‘i have access to high quality mental health care, this program prepares nurse practitioners with advanced clinical judgment, cultural awareness, and evidence-based practice skills to serve vulnerable populations and respond to the state’s evolving healthcare systems.
Program Highlights:
- Advanced clinical preparation in psychiatric care and treatments including psychotropic medication management, psychotherapy (individual, group, and family), crisis intervention, and care coordination
- 810 supervised clinical hours across diverse psychiatric settings throughout Hawai‘i
- 1000+ DNP Essentials hours, ensuring students meet all advanced practice and doctoral-level competencies
- Emphasis on serving vulnerable and underserved populations, with an understanding of culturally responsive, trauma-informed care
Licensure and State Authorization:
Graduates who successfully complete the PMHNP DNP Program are eligible to obtain national certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Upon receipt of board certification, graduates are eligible to apply for Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) licensure through the Hawai‘i Board of Nursing. While the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa supports licensure in Hawai‘i, students intending to practice outside the state should consult the respective state licensing board to determine regional requirements.
Sample Curriculum
Note: The following is a sample curriculum and is subject to change. Course offerings may vary based on the student’s year of admission to the program, faculty, and program updates. Enrollment in equivalent courses in other UH schools or offered by NEXus may be taken to ensure timely student progression. Students participate in a mandatory orientation during the first week of instruction each semester.
PMHNP DNP Course List
- NURS 607 Applied Biostatistics and Epidemiology for Nurses in Advanced Practice (3)
- NURS 612 Advanced Assessment & Clinical Reasoning (2)
- NURS 612L Advanced Assessment & Clinical Reasoning Lab (1)
- NURS 613 Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice (3)
- NURS 629 Pharmacology for Nurses in Advanced Practice (3)
- NURS 631 Advanced Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan (3 cr)
- NURS 640 Chronic Illness Management (3)
- N642 Healthcare Information and Technology (3)
- NURS 662 Leadership, Role Identity, and Organizational/System Change (3)
- NURS 683 Psychobiology of Mental Health Disorders (3 cr)
- NURS 684 Theory: Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing Across the Lifespan 1 (3 cr)
- NURS 684L Clinical: Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing 1 (6 cr)
- NURS 685 Individual Psychotherapy for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (3 cr)
- NURS 686 Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing Across the Lifespan 2 (3 cr)
- NURS 686L Clinical: Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing 2 (6 cr)
- NURS 687 Family & Group Psychotherapy for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (3 cr)
- NURS 688 Theory: Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing Across the Lifespan 3 (3)
- NURS 688L Clinical: Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing 3 (6)
- NURS 730 Principles of Evidence Based Practice for Advanced Nursing (3)
- NURS 735 Effective Program Evaluation for Quality Improvement (3)
- NURS 740 Health Policy & Economics (3)
- NURS 755 DNP Scholarly Project A: Proposal (2)
- NURS 756 DNP Scholarly Project B: Implementation (2 cr)
- NURS 757 DNP Scholarly Project C: Evaluation & Dissemination (2)
Total Number of Credits: 75 credits
Current students refer to STAR for their individualized curriculum pathway.
Note: It is the student’s responsibility to meet regularly with their academic advisor(s) to ensure proper progress and to confirm their academic requirements.
DNP Program Coordinator & NEXus Campus Staff Coordinator
Contact for applicants and current students in the DNP program and the NEXus Program.
Email: dnpnurs@hawaii.edu
School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene
University of Hawaii at Manoa
2528 McCarthy Mall, Webster Hall 201
Honolulu, HI 96822
Ph: 808-956-8401
Fax: 808-956-5977
via Star Balance
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Specialty Program Coordinator & Instructor
School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene
University of Hawaii at Manoa
2528 McCarthy Mall, Webster Hall 406
Honolulu, HI 96822
Phone: 808-956-5523
Fax: 808-956-3257
Email: chrisnm@hawaii.edu