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BSN to DNP (FNP) Program

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Overview

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Prepare to work more effectively with all populations

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The United States is predicted to face a shortage of between 54,100 and 139,000 physicians, in both primary and specialty care areas, by 2033.* This shortage is worse in rural communities, where more than 50 million people live but only 9% of the nation's physicians practice. The imbalance between number of patients and available doctors has created an unprecedented demand for nurse practitioners.

Hawai‘i Pacific University’s BSN to DNP – FNP online program is a practice-oriented pathway designed for registered nurses seeking to provide primary care and lead healthcare innovation. In one integrated program, you’ll earn your Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) while becoming eligible for FNP certification.

With asynchronous courses, clinical placement support, and a focus on evidence-based leadership, the program can equip you to meet the needs of families, communities, and health systems.

*Fierce Healthcare

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CALENDAR

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Application Deadline:
December 5, 2025

Upcoming Start Date:
January 12, 2026
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Program at a Glance

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100% online coursework with mobile-friendly delivery
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Small classes with accessible faculty who care about your success and well-being
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Prepare to pass the ANCC certification exam on your first attempt
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Dedicated student support from first contact through graduation
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Earn your MSN and DNP in under 4 years
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Up to 12 transfer credits accepted
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*Full-time students take 34 months and part-time students take 44 months to complete the program.
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Why Choose HPU’s Online BSN to DNP – FNP?

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HPU’s nursing programs emphasize patient-centered care, leadership, and cultural competence. Our DNP-FNP track prepares you to lead in outpatient care settings and contribute to better health outcomes through innovation and collaboration.

ONE COHESIVE DEGREE PATH

Earn your DNP without having to first earn an MSN.

FOCUSED ON PREVENTATIVE & LIFESPAN CARE

Learn to treat families across all stages of life.

LEADERSHIP PREPARATION

Study systems thinking, policy, and health equity.

SUPPORTIVE ONLINE FORMAT

Engage with faculty and peers through virtual tools.

PRECEPTOR MATCHING INCLUDED

We help secure approved clinical placements.

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BSN to DNP – FNP Career Outcomes

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Graduates of HPU’s BSN to DNP – FNP program are prepared to lead in outpatient clinical care and health system innovation.
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What Does a Family Nurse Practitioner Do?

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FNPs provide primary care services to patients across the lifespan, from pediatric to geriatric populations. They often serve as a patient’s main provider, managing both prevention and chronic disease.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Conducting exams and wellness visits
  • Ordering and interpreting diagnostics
  • Prescribing medications and managing treatment
  • Educating patients and families
  • Collaborating with healthcare teams to improve outcomes
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Practice Settings

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Clinical Roles

  • Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Family Practice Provider
  • Community Health NP Telehealth NP

Leadership Opportunities

  • Nursing Faculty
  • Clinical Director
  • Population Health Leader
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Job Outlook

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  • Median Salary: $116,000 (ZipRecruiter)
  • Projected Growth: 40% growth from 2023 through 2033 (BLS)
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BSN to DNP Careers

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Ready for your next step?

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Online BSN to DNP – FNP Curriculum Overview

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The FNP curriculum is designed to prepare you for both direct care and systems-level leadership. Coursework covers clinical reasoning, advanced practice procedures, and tools to lead population-focused health initiatives.
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COURSES INCLUDE:

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  • Advanced Theory: Primary Care of Children
  • Advanced Theory: Primary Care of Women
  • Episodic Conditions in Primary Care
  • Chronic Conditions in Primary Care
  • Advanced Clinical Decision Making
  • Evidence Based Practice for Advanced Nursing
  • Leadership and Systems Management
  • Analytical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice
  • Doctoral Projects: Development, Implementation, and Data Analysis and Dissemination
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CLINICAL PLACEMENT SERVICES

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HPU helps you identify and coordinate placements aligned with FNP certification. Whether you’re practicing in a rural, urban, or underserved setting, our team assists in:

  • Matching you with qualified preceptors
  • Securing outpatient, family medicine, and public health sites
  • Ensuring compliance with state licensure requirements
  • Supporting documentation, onboarding, and evaluations
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You’ll complete over 1,000 supervised practicum hours and develop a final project that applies evidence-based interventions to improve primary care delivery.

Students may transfer up to 12 eligible credits from another college or university into HPU’s online BSN-DNP program.

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Note: Upon completion of our BSN to DNP program, the DNP degree will be awarded. This program does not lead to the MSN degree.
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Core Courses

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NUR 6000 Introduction to Advanced Practice Roles / 3 Credits
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This course covers the definitions of advanced practice nursing (APN) roles in community environments. Theoretical content includes ethics, multicultural population-focused care, community coordination strategies and interdisciplinary collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, and leadership. Roles of the nurse as case manager, administrator, educator, researcher, consultant, and practitioner are explored. Communication issues including assertive behavior, conflict resolution, and the dynamics of change are examined.
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NUR 6010 Advanced Pathophysiology / 3 Credits
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This course covers the in-depth exploration of pathophysiological responses involved in processes affecting the body's optimal functioning. The ability to implement diagnostic reasoning, critical thinking, and the integration of scientific concepts with psychosocial and spiritual aspects of the human condition are enhanced using case studies. Human pathophysiological responses across the life span that incorporate the individual, families, and communities are surveyed.
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NUR 6020 Advanced Nursing Research / 3 Credits
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A broad range of quantitative and qualitative methods of inquiry are explored as a means to forward nursing research.
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NUR 6025 Advanced Pharmacology / 3 Credits
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This course covers advanced knowledge of pharmacology integrated with the needs of the community served by the practitioner. A case-study method is utilized to support increased knowledge, development, and application.
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NUR 6030 Advanced Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning / 3 Credits
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This course expands upon health assessment skills and diagnostic reasoning concepts to determine the health status of clients across the life span. Focuses on the collection and interpretation of clinical data derived from the history and physical exam.
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NUR 8050 Development and Implementation of Health Care Policy / 3 Credits
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In this course the DNP student will develop knowledge, skills, and tools toward the DNP terminal competencies related to policy, policy development, and change to maintain high-quality care while remaining accessible and using scarce resources wisely.
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Family Nurse Practitioner Program Curriculum

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At the conclusion of the program, FNP students will have completed a total of 504 clinical hours:

  • NUR 6961 Practicum I: Child – 126 clinical hours
  • NUR 6963 Practicum II: Women's – 126 clinical hours
  • NUR 6965 Practicum III: Adult – 126 clinical hours
  • NUR 6967 Practicum IV: Geriatric – 126 clinical hours
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NUR 6966 Chronic Conditions in Primary Care / 3 Credits
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Health promotion, disease prevention, and illnesses of geriatric adults are comprehensively analyzed for the individual and in the context of their family and community.
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NUR 6967 Practicum IV / 3 Credits
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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.
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NUR 6960 Advanced Theory: Primary Care of Children / 3 Credits
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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.
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NUR 6961 Practicum I / 3 Credits
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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.
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NUR 6962 Advanced Theory: Primary Care of Women / 3 Credits
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Disease prevention, health promotion, and illnesses in women are comprehensively analyzed for the individual and within the context of their family and community.
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NUR 6963 Practicum II / 3 Credits
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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.
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NUR 6964 Episodic Conditions in Primary Care / 3 Credits
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Health promotion, disease prevention, and illnesses of adults are comprehensively analyzed for the individual and in the context of their family and community.
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NUR 6965 Practicum III / 3 Credits
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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.
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DNP Courses

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Courses in the HPU BSN to DNP program are built around the nationally recognized Essentials set by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).
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NUR 8000 Evidence Based Practice for Advanced Nursing / 3 Credits
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This course provides learners with the theoretical and practical foundation for evidence-based practice with an emphasis on evidence-based conceptual models, refining skills in searching and critiquing the literature for application to practice change, and synthesizing a body of literature to design interventions pertinent to a practice problem.
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NUR 8010 Leadership and Systems Management / 3 Credits
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In this course the doctoral student will prepare to assume complex and advanced leadership roles to guide change as a practitioner, clinical executive, educator, clinical scientist, and clinical scholar, among others.
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NUR 8020 Informatics and Technology for Advanced Practice / 3 Credits
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In this course the doctoral student will acquire competencies in using technology systems that capture data on variables for the evaluation of health care, integrating appropriate technologies to translate evolving technical and scientific information. The student will demonstrate information literacy skills in complex decision-making and ability to contribute to the design of clinical information systems that promote safe, quality, and cost-effective care.
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NUR 8030 Optimizing Quality in Health Care Systems / 3 Credits
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In this course the doctoral student will acquire competencies to continuously improve the quality of systems practices focusing on day-to-day responsibilities and realities of guiding change. The student will evaluate the impact of access, cost, quality, and safety of proposed change. The interaction of organizational structure, care processes, financing, marketing and policy decisions, and regulatory pressures will be examined in relation to quality improvement decisions.
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NUR 8040 Business and Finance Essentials for the DNP / 3 Credits
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The student will develop knowledge and skills toward the DNP essentials regarding organizational leadership and systems thinking. The topics of health care economics and the business of practice will be examined. Economic concepts and tools will be used to examine issues, costs, and solve problems pertaining to health care delivery.
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NUR 8050 Development and Implementation of Health Care Policy / 3 Credits
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In this course the DNP student will develop knowledge, skills, and tools toward the DNP terminal competencies related to policy, policy development, and change to maintain high-quality care while remaining accessible and using scarce resources wisely.
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NUR 8070 Clinical Scholarship and Scholarly Writing / 3 Credits
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This course is designed to introduce students to scholarly writing and dissemination for clinicians. The four areas of scholarly writing covered will be argument, evidence, paragraphs, and academic voice. The course provides students with practical information, exercises, and resources for successful clinical manuscript preparation, journal article abstract preparation, and clinical conference poster and oral presentation. This course prepares graduate students for a lifelong approach to integrating scholarship into clinical practice.
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NUR 8080 Analytical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice / 3 Credits
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This course is designed to provide the foundation for applying and implementing research by exploring the nature of inquiry and evaluating designs, methods, and measurements of evidence. Topics of validity, reliability, generalizability, rigor, and trustworthiness will be addressed in this course. Appropriate statistical analysis used to predict and analyze health care outcomes will be presented. Evaluating and using output from statistical computing software are also addressed.
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NUR 9010 Doctoral Project I: Development / 3 Credits
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In this course the DNP student will refine and prepare for implementation of the project proposal at a practice site in their state of licensure. The final project proposal will be submitted to the HPU IRB and the research review process of the project site.
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NUR 9020 Doctoral Project II: Implementation / 3 Credits
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In this course, the DNP student will refine and prepare for implementation of the project proposal at the practice site in their state of licensure. The final project proposal will be submitted to the HPU IRB and the research review process of the project site.
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NUR 9030 Doctoral Project III: Data Analysis and Dissemination / 3 Credits
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Under the guidance of their academic and external advisors, the doctoral student will analyze the results of their selected project by analyzing data, evaluating project outcomes, and disseminating results within the organization, the university, and the professional community. Findings will be disseminated in the form of a publishable scholarly paper and an oral community presentation.
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Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold:

  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited university
  • 3.0 GPA from undergraduate degree preferred
  • U.S. unencumbered state RN license
  • Before or during the program, applicants must also demonstrate completion of a Statistics and Research (Evidence-Based Nursing) course. This may be listed on transcripts as Statistics, Research Methods, or Evidence-Based Practice

To complete your application, you’ll need:

  • Application and application fee
  • Transcripts
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum vitae or resume
  • Statement of purpose
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Transfer Credits

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Students wishing to transfer course credits from an outside institution will need to meet with their Program Chair to review transcripts, course syllabi and fill out appropriate forms. A maximum of 12 semester credits of graduate work is transferrable if the following requirements are met:

  • The institution is accredited
  • Official transcripts and syllabi are available for review
  • The courses are deemed to be equivalent in level, content, objectives, and competencies to the HPU graduate course it will be replacing
  • The proficiency attained is equivalent to a "B" grade or higher
  • Courses were completed within five calendar years of admission to HPU graduate nursing
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The following courses cannot be transferred to HPU for credit:

  • Final project/paper or Capstone course
  • Courses taken as part of a granted degree. For example, if a student has had a Master's degree in Public Health conferred, a health policy course taken during that curriculum may not be transferred in and applied to another degree requirements.
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Graduate-level attainments completed at institutions or through programs or examinations, evaluated by the ACE (American Council on Education) will be considered for appropriate transfer credit on the same basis as prospective transfer credit from graduate programs at U.S. colleges and universities. The Program Chair will use the ACE credit award recommendation as the starting point for the deliberation of credit award; in no case will more credits be awarded than the ACE recommends; usually the award will be more stringent.
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FAQs: BSN to DNP – FNP

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What is a BSN to DNP – FNP program?
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It’s an advanced nursing degree that allows RNs with a BSN to earn both a Doctor of Nursing Practice and eligibility for Family Nurse Practitioner certification in one integrated pathway.
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Can I work while completing the program?
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Yes, the program is designed for working nurses, with asynchronous online courses and flexible clinical scheduling.
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Does HPU help with clinical placements?
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Yes, we provide placement support to help you identify, secure, and onboard with approved preceptors and sites.
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What certification can I pursue?
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Graduates are prepared to sit for FNP certification exams through the AANP or ANCC.
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How long does it take to complete the program?
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You can complete the program in as few as 34 months (full time) or 44 months (part time), though timelines may vary.
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Tuition & Financial Aid

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HPU offers competitive tuition, transparent pricing, and personalized support to help you plan your investment in a doctoral nursing degree.

  • $1,117 per credit
  • Total credits vary by entry point (BSN to DNP or MSN to DNP)
  • Scholarships, grants, and employer reimbursement available
  • Military and veteran benefits support
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