UH West O‘ahu and UH Hilo partnership offers new pathway to nursing degree

University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Contact:
Julie Funasaki Yuen, (808) 689-2604
Public Information Officer, Communications Department
Alyson Kakugawa-Leong, (808) 932-7669
Director of Media Relations
Posted: Jul 7, 2015

KAPOLEI --- This fall, the University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu and the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo will launch an innovative new pathway program for students interested in pursuing nursing careers. UH West Oʻahu will offer a Pre-Nursing Pathway – pre-requisite nursing courses required for application to accredited nursing programs in the State of Hawaiʻi. Through this university partnership, students may apply to UH Hilo’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program after completing pre-nursing coursework at UH West Oʻahu. UHWO students who are accepted into this ‘Ike Mauli Ola West Oʻahu and UH Hilo Nursing Partnership Bachelor of Science in Nursing program will have the opportunity to take UH Hilo nursing courses delivered from the UH West Oʻahu campus in Kapolei and participate in hands-on classroom lab activities via UH West Oʻahu’s future new Nursing Simulation Laboratory.

“We are excited about the ‘Ike Mauli Ola partnership with UH Hilo because it offers students from the Leeward Coast of Oʻahu access to a nursing program in their region,” said UH West Oʻahu PIKO Project Director Melissa Saul. “Through this unique partnership, we hope to increase the number of underrepresented students in nursing and other health careers.”

“UH Hilo is delighted to assist UHWO in establishing a pathway for their students to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree,” said UH Hilo Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Matthew Platz “This agreement is win-win for both campuses. The partnership will enable UH Hilo to provide the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to both UHWO and additional UH Hilo students. By the end of the agreement, UH West Oʻahu will have a robust capacity for delivering the program to UHWO students, and UH Hilo will have increased capacity as well.”

“UH Hilo School of Nursing faculty are committed to an educational pipeline with a focus on rural transcultural nursing,” said UH Hilo School of Nursing Director Katharyn Daub. “This partnership with UH West Oʻahu is a good fit for our students here in Hilo and Kapolei, and we are excited about the ability to increase our admission capacity.”

While taking pre-nursing coursework, UH West Oʻahu students will be provided with support services to prepare for admission to the ʻIke Mauli Ola West Oʻahu and UH Hilo Nursing Partnership Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. UH West Oʻahu Pre-Nursing Pathway students will also have the opportunity to participate in the ʻIke Mauli Ola Learning Community, a U.S. Department of Education Title III grant-funded cohort of pre-nursing students that begin as freshmen at UHWO. These ʻIke Mauli Ola Learning Community students will receive assistance with academic coursework, learn about a holistic approach to health care that is inclusive of Native Hawaiian values and practices, and participate in West Oʻahu area community engagement activities.

For more information about the UH West Oʻahu Pre-Nursing Pathway, visit http://www.uhwo.hawaii.edu/academics/degrees-and-certificates/prenursing/ To apply to UH West Oʻahu, visit uhwo.hawaii.edu/admissions, call (808) 689-2900 or email uhwo.admissions@hawaii.edu.

Established in 1976, the University of Hawaiʻi - West O‘ahu offers quality education, small classes and personalized attention with academic programs that emphasize the exploration of interdisciplinary and cross-cultural studies. UH West O‘ahu serves approximately 2,700 students at its brand new, state-of-the-art campus that opened in the City of Kapolei in 2012. For more information, visit www.uhwo.hawaii.edu, call (808) 689-2800 or toll-free (866) 299-8656. Find us on Facebook and Twitter.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, a vibrant, multicultural campus, provides opportunities for higher education on the island of Hawaiʻi, the southernmost and largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago. Founded in 1947 under UH Mānoa’s Extension Division and called the “Hilo Program,” UH Hilo was organized under its present name in 1970. UH Hilo has grown and changed throughout the years to meet the educational needs and aspirations of the community. While the University’s primary focus is undergraduate education, it also offers several graduate degree programs in focused areas at both the master’s and doctoral levels. A total of 4,139 students were enrolled in fall 2011. For more information, visit www.hilo.hawaii.edu.

U.S. Department of Education Title III programs are designed to strengthen universities and help institutions of higher education better serve low-income students by providing funds to improve academic quality, institutional management and fiscal stability. Title III grants also provide funding for institutions to improve and expand the capacity to serve Native Hawaiians and Alaska Natives.