UH Manoa to offer Doctorate in Nursing Practice in Fall 2012

The Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing at the University of Hawaii at Manoa will offer the Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree beginning in Fall 2012.

At its May meeting, the UH Board of Regents approved development of a post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program at UH Manoa.  Building on the master’s program curriculum, the DNP is designed as a professional (practice) doctorate integrating evidence based practice, quality improvement, and systems leadership to prepare experts in specialized advanced nursing practice. The DNP is targeted to nurses seeking a terminal degree in nursing practice and will complement the Manoa research focused PhD in nursing program.

“We are delighted to offer studentsthe option to select the doctoral degree, PhD or DNP, which best fits their needs, and career goal. Second, the DNP program will extend our already strong partnerships with employers, medicine, business, and law to create a shared vision for interprofessional health care practice.” said Dean Mary Boland of the Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing.The DNP program is designed to meet the statewide demand for a highly competent nursing workforce skilled in the delivery of safe, quality nursing care.   It aligns with the 2010 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report calling for a doubling in the numbers of nurses with a doctorate by 2020.

The DNP program will admitlicensed registered nurses (RN) possessing a master’s degree in nursing or related field.  It will consist of 37 credit hours of study completed over a period of two years including summer sessions. Students will enter and progress in learning cohorts with courses offered in a combination of face-to-face, online and hybrid delivery. UH Manoa Nursing is the recognized leader in nursing research and scholarship in Hawaii, and facilitates the multi-campus UH Statewide Nursing Consortium.

For more information on the DNP Program visit:  http://www.nursing.hawaii.edu/dnp_home