Nursing, MS

Online Advanced Population Health Nursing

• For RNs with either:
  • a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BS)
  • an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and a bachelor’s degree or higher in another field
• Fall (August) Admission only
• Full- or part-time program

The Online Advanced Population Health Nursing (APHN) Program is a distance-based master’s degree that prepares registered nurses for leadership roles in population health nursing. The program is geared towards registered nurses who wish to practice in Hawaiʻi, the U.S. mainland or in an international setting. APHN program course work is completed online, and includes individual and group learning, as well as fieldwork activities conducted locally in the student’s own community.

Advanced population health nurses practice using outcome-driven strategies to manage health for groups of individuals. The APHN program equips graduates with skills to engage with patients in diverse contexts, and develop valuable insight into how health care affects individuals, families, and communities. The program focuses on population-level health, wellness, social determinants of health, health promotion, and disease prevention. Students learn critical population health skills such as community and population assessment; leadership, complex project/program management; disaster nursing, health services research; and health policy analysis.

The 30-39 credit program can be completed in one year as a full-time student or in two years or longer as a part-time student. Students in the (APHN) program complete a six credit capstone project that includes 270 hours of fieldwork experience. The capstone project is designed to provide students with experience in the indirect care level of service at the aggregate population, organizational or systems level.

Nursing Education & Leadership

• For RNs with one of the following:
  • a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BS)
  • an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and a bachelor’s degree or higher in another field
• Fall (August) Admission only
• Full- or part-time program

The Master’s of Science (MS) in Nursing Education & Leadership is designed for post-baccalaureate nurses and advanced practice nurses to expand their knowledge and expertise in nursing education, best practices and innovation in teaching and learning, and leadership development in their area of specialization and practice. A total of 36 credits is required for this program. Part-time and full-time study options are available. The prospective and current graduate students in this program will receive academic and student services support from the School’s Office of Student Services (OSS) and as students progress through the program of study, they will be additionally advised by the Program Director for academic advising.

This program is distance-based with a hybrid format. Most of the courses are offered online except for three in-person courses (lab, fieldwork, and practicum). Accommodations will be made for graduate nursing students on the neighbor islands for these experiences. Core foundational courses offered include research and evidenced-based practice, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment. Students will begin to take nursing education and leadership courses beginning in the first year to develop specialization skills and knowledge in these areas. In the final two semesters, students will be immersed in their area of specialization and practice and real-world education and leadership opportunities in didactic, fieldwork, and clinical & practicum experiences with a master teacher. These experiences bridge role change and development from novice to expert in the discipline of nursing education and leadership development.