UH Manoa launches new Master’s Entry program for nursing students

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Dr. Mary Boland, Dean
School of Nursing & Dental Hygiene
Posted: Jan 4, 2008




Thirty-one students from various careers will today start an exciting journey as nursing students in a new program at the UH Mānoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene. The Master‘s Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN) was designed for adult learners with no prior nursing experience/education, have a baccalaureate degree or beyond in another field, and are leadership-bound with a focus on advanced practice nursing. The first and only program offered in the State, UH Mānoa joins 60 leading national nursing programs in providing this fast track entry to a nursing career.

When UH Mānoa announced the new program in 2007, an overwhelming number of qualified and passionate applicants from Hawaii and across the country competed for 32 student places. On January 4th, the first cohort of students begins the program with an intensive orientation and will spend the next 12 months engaged with faculty and community clinical sites in this fast track program.

Traditionally students pursuing a degree in advanced nursing practice must complete a minimum of five years of school as well as incur tuition costs for the bachelor‘s and master‘s degrees.

Mary Boland, Nursing Dean at Mānoa, explains that, "The MEPN is an innovative program enabling adult learner students to complete the pre-licensure nursing coursework in 12 months and matriculate directly to the specialty practice courses. It is possible for MEPN students to obtain their registered nurse preparation and master‘s degree in as few as three years, the time usually required to just complete the nursing bachelor‘s degree at Mānoa".

Dean Mary Boland said, "The State Legislature was generous in providing support for this fast track effort to address the immediate State workforce need and access to our sought-after Manoa graduates."

For more information about the new MEPN program and the School, visit www.nursing.hawaii.edu.
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For more information, visit: http://www.nursing.hawaii.edu