Title (title extra extra large)
Online Post-Master’s Certificate in Nursing (PMC) Program Guide
Column
Ref:column (content1)
Column
Ref:column (content2)
Title (title large)
Raise the bar for nursing practice.
Content
Online Post-Master’s Certificate in Nursing (PMC)
- Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
- Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP)
Hawai‘i Pacific University offers three online post-master’s certificate options to help you distinguish yourself as a nursing professional. In as few as 14 months, you’ll earn an additional credential that can set you apart from your peers. And you’ll be positioned to make an even greater impact on health outcomes by expanding your existing nursing practice into a new area of specialization.
Title (title large)
Start your journey
Content
Start Dates:
3 starts per year (fall, spring, and summer)
Application Deadline:
Fall
July 28, 2025
Upcoming Start Date:
Fall
August 25, 2025
Call: 866-525-2280
Schedule an appointment with an advisor
Button (primary)
Button Label
APPLY NOW
Title (title large)
At a Glance
Title (title large)
Choose from three in-demand concentrations:
Column
Ref:column (content)
Column
Ref:column (content1)
Column
Ref:column (content2)
Title (title medium)
Family Nurse Practitioner
Content
Designed for nurses interested in providing advanced care and a wide range of mental health services to patients of all ages.
24 credits | $26,808 total tuition
Title (title medium)
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Content
Designed for nurses seeking an advanced practice role caring for adult/elderly patients with acute, chronic illness.
27 credits | $30,159 total tuition
Title (title medium)
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Content
Designed for nurses who want to provide primary care services to patients across the lifespan.
25 credits | $27,925 total tuition
Title (title large)
Curriculum
Content
HPU is different. Here, you learn from professors who are at the top of their field — not only in academics but in applied and industry knowledge. With this type of education, you don’t just learn from lectures and textbooks. HPU courses are hands-on, interactive, and taught by faculty who excel as both educators and practitioners.
Our advanced nursing coursework is designed to help you pass national nurse practitioner certification exams on the first try. Whatever your goals, you can feel confident that you’re learning from a dedicated faculty and robust, accredited curriculum.
Courses in HPU’s online post-master’s certificate program are built around the nationally recognized Standards for Quality Nurse Practitioner Education, set by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).*National Council of State Boards of Nursing
Title (title medium)
FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER (FNP) CERTIFICATE COURSES
Content
24 credits
Summary
NUR 6960 Advanced Theory: Primary Care of Children / 3 Credits
Main Content
Disease prevention, health promotion, and illnesses in children and adolescents are comprehensively analyzed for the individual and within the context of their family and community.
Summary
NUR 6961 Practicum I / 3 Credits
Main Content
Applied advanced practice nursing knowledge, reasoning, and intervention skills to prevent disease, promote health, and treat illnesses in children, their families, and communities are developed within this laboratory and clinical experience.
Summary
NUR 6962 Advanced Theory: Primary Care of Women / 3 Credits
Main Content
Disease prevention, health promotion, and illnesses in women are comprehensively analyzed for the individual and within the context of their family and community.
Summary
NUR 6963 Practicum II / 3 Credits
Main Content
Disease prevention, health promotion, and illnesses in children and adolescents are comprehensively analyzed for the individual and within the context of their family and community.
Summary
NUR 6964 Episodic Conditions in Primary Care / 3 Credits
Main Content
Health promotion, disease prevention, and illnesses of adults are comprehensively analyzed for the individual and in the context of their family and community.
Summary
NUR 6965 Practicum III / 3 Credits
Main Content
Advanced practice nursing knowledge, reasoning, and intervention skills to prevent disease, promote health, and treat illnesses in adults, their families, and communities are developed within this laboratory and clinical experience.
Summary
NUR 6966 Chronic Conditions in Primary Care / 3 Credits
Main Content
Health promotion, disease prevention, and illnesses of geriatric adults are comprehensively analyzed for the individual and in the context of their family and community.
Summary
NUR 6967 Practicum IV / 3 Credits
Main Content
Advanced practice knowledge, reasoning, and intervention skills to prevent disease, promote health, and treat illnesses in older adults, their families, and communities are developed in this laboratory and clinical experience.
Title (title medium)
PSYCHIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH NURSE PRACTITIONER (PMHNP) CERTIFICATE COURSES
Content
27 credits
Summary
NUR 6026 Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan / 3 Credits
Main Content
Prepares the psychiatric/mental health APRN to prescribe psychotropic medications to clients in different settings. Applying evidence-based knowledge of psychopharmacological principles to treat specific psychiatric conditions is emphasized. Managing iatrogenic/trophicogenic problems caused by pharmacologic agents is explored. Neuropsychiatric development, brain function, neuroanatomy, and neurophysiology are examined in relation to pharmacologic agents. The relationship between specific psychopathological and neurological conditions and psychopharmacological treatments is examined. Prescribing, managing, and monitoring of psychopharmacotherapeutics are emphasized along with complementary and alternative agents. The role of the psychiatric/mental health APRN as prescriber for the patient with psychiatric conditions is incorporated throughout this course, including therapeutic challenges such as medication compliance, outcomes, ethical responsibilities, legalities, financial realities, cultural, and genetic diversity, and practical considerations.
Summary
NUR 6970 Advanced Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing I / 3 Credits
Main Content
Facilitates the Psychiatric/Mental Health APRN for the complex role of providing mental health care and crisis intervention to adults/geriatric adults of differing social, economic, and cultural backgrounds within a recovery framework. Cultural assessment, psychiatric assessment and diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and co-morbidities are incorporated throughout the course. Treatment and management of mental health disorders using a variety of modalities and interventions with an emphasis on pharmacotherapy are explored. Synthesis of evidence-based, recovery-focused management in concert with the social, cultural, environmental, spiritual, and physical needs of the patient and family are emphasized.
Summary
NUR 6971 Advanced Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing I Practicum / 5 Credits
Main Content
Prepares the psychiatric/mental health APRN to provide mental health care and crisis intervention to adults/geriatric adults of differing social, economic, and cultural backgrounds within a recovery framework. Cultural assessment, psychiatric assessment and diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and co-morbidities are incorporated throughout the course. Treating and managing mental health disorders are explored using a variety of modalities and interventions, with emphasis on communication theory and group theory focused on recovery. Synthesizing evidence-based, recovery-focused management is emphasized along with the social, cultural, environmental, spiritual, and physical needs of the patient and family.
Summary
NUR 6972 Advanced Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing II / 3 Credits
Main Content
Facilitates Psychiatric/Mental Health APRN students in the complex role of providing recovery-focused, mental health nursing care to clients with chronic, and complex psychiatric needs of differing social, economic, and cultural backgrounds. Emphasis on psychotherapeutic management of clients across the lifespan while integrating evidence-based, recovery-focused approaches. Examination of the forensic, social, cultural, physical, economic, familial, spiritual, and societal impacts of severe mental illness incorporates local and world views as well as advocacy opportunities for the Psychiatric/Mental Health APRN. Synthesis of evidence-based, recovery-focused management in concert with the social, cultural, environmental, spiritual, and physical needs of these clients is explored.
Summary
NUR 6973 Advanced Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing II Practicum / 5 Credits
Main Content
Prepares the psychiatric/mental health APRN to provide mental health care and crisis intervention to adults/geriatric adults of differing social, economic, and cultural backgrounds within a recovery framework. Cultural assessment, psychiatric assessment and diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and co-morbidities are incorporated throughout the course. Treating and managing mental health disorders using a variety of modalities and interventions are explored, with emphasis on communication theory and group theory focused on recovery. Synthesizing evidence-based, recovery-focused management are emphasized along with the social, cultural, environmental, spiritual, and physical needs of the patient and family.
Summary
NUR 6974 Advanced Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing III / 3 Credits
Main Content
Facilitates the Psychiatric/Mental Health APRN for the complex role of providing mental health nursing care and crisis intervention to children, adolescents, and families of differing social, economic, and cultural backgrounds within a recovery framework. Cultural assessment, psychiatric assessment and diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and co-morbidities are incorporated throughout t course. Treatment and management of mental health disorders using a variety of modalities and interventions are explored. Synthesis of evidence-based, recovery-focused management in concert with the social, cultural, environmental, spiritual, and physical needs of children, adolescents, and families are emphasized.
Summary
NUR 6975 Advanced Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing III Practicum / 5 Credits
Main Content
Prepares psychiatric/mental health APRN students to provide recovery-focused mental-health nursing care to clients with the chronic and complex psychiatric needs of differing social, economic, and cultural backgrounds. Emphasizes medication and therapeutic management of clients across the lifespan while integrating evidence-based, recovery-focused approaches. The student builds on the knowledge and concepts learned in NUR 6970 and NUR 6972 and gains a more in-depth understanding of treating people with complex psychiatric/mental health needs using recovery-focused interventions. An examination of the forensic, social, cultural, physical, economic, familial, spiritual, and societal impacts of severe mental illness incorporates local and world views, as well as advocacy opportunities, for the psychiatric/mental health APRN. Synthesizing evidence-based, recovery-focused management is explored along with social, cultural, environmental, spiritual, and physical needs of these clients.
Title (title medium)
ADULT-GERONTOLOGY ACUTE CARE NURSE PRACTITIONER (AGACNP) CERTIFICATE COURSES
Content
25 credits
Summary
NUR 6980 Fundamentals of Acute Care I / 3 Credits
Main Content
This evidence-based course investigates the evaluation and management of adult and gerontologic populations experiencing acute and critical illnesses, including disease classification, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, assessment, and diagnostic evaluation. An emphasis is placed on advanced clinical decision-making, integrating advanced pharmacology, psychosocial, cultural, spiritual factors, genetics, and the impact of aging.
Summary
NUR 6982 Advanced Clinical Decision Making / 3 Credits
Main Content
This didactic and Sim Lab course focuses on critical care diagnostics and management technologies, including ABG analysis and ventilation management; cardioversion and pacing; lab; radiology; and CT interpretation. Emphasis is on obtaining comprehensive medical histories, conducting examinations, analyzing biotechnological data trends, performing differential diagnosis, and decision-making for critically ill adults.
Summary
NUR 6983 Fundamentals of Acute Care II / 3 Credits
Main Content
This evidence-based course investigates evaluating and managing adult and gerontologic populations experiencing acute and critical illnesses. This includes disease classification, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, assessment, and diagnostic evaluation. An emphasis is placed on advanced clinical decision-making that integrates advanced pharmacology; psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual factors; genetics; and the impact of aging.
Summary
NUR 6984 AGACNP Practicum I / 3 Credits
Main Content
This first practicum course will explore and apply the adult-gerontological ACNP role within the infrastructure of American health care. The focus will be on developing ACNP competencies and clinical decision-making. Discussions will include reimbursement, billing, role development, nursing and medical interventions, and other activities.
Summary
NUR 6986 AGACNP Practicum II / 6 Credits
Main Content
This first practicum course will explore and apply the adult-gerontological ACNP role within the infrastructure of American health care. The focus will be on developing ACNP competencies and clinical decision-making. Discussions will include reimbursement, billing, role development, nursing and medical interventions, and other activities.
Summary
NUR 6987 AGACNP Practicum III / 6 Credits
Main Content
The third practicum course will solidify the ACNP role with the expansion of advanced clinical competencies and clinical decision-making. Clinical experiences will focus and substantiate the utility of comprehensive patient assessment, management, and intervention strategies across the continuum of acute care. Seminars will focus on a variety of professional role development.
Summary
NUR 6985 Fundamentals of Acute Care III / 1 Credit
Main Content
This third evidence-based course investigates evaluating and managing adult and gerontologic populations experiencing acute and critical illnesses. This includes disease classification, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, assessment, and diagnostic evaluation. An emphasis is placed on advanced clinical decision-making; integrating advanced pharmacology; and psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual factors.
Title (title large)
Admission Requirements
Content
Here’s what you’ll need to apply:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from an accredited university
- 3.0 GPA from undergraduate degree preferred
- Undergraduate statistics course
- Nurse practitioner license
- U.S. unencumbered state RN license
You must also include the following with your completed application:
- Application fee
- Transcripts
- CV or resume
- One letter of recommendation
- Statement of purpose: Why do you want to attend Hawai‘i Pacific University to earn your Post-Master’s Certificate in Nursing? Describe your academic objectives, research interests, and career plans. Also discuss how your unique background would contribute to the mosaic of cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives in HPU’s graduate program.
Title (title large)
Accreditations
Icon
Content
Member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
Icon
Content
Member of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)
Icon
Content
Accredited by the Senior College and University Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC/WSCUC)
Icon
Content
Participant in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) to offer distance education in member states
Icon
Content
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, post-graduate APRN certificate program, and Doctor of Nursing Practice at Hawai‘i Pacific University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
Title (title large)
Ready to get started?
Content
Call 866-525-2280 or schedule an appointment with an advisor to learn more about Hawai‘i Pacific University’s online Post-Master's Certificate in Nursing program.