ADN Programs in Hawaii

Is There a Nursing Shortage in Hawaii?
While it is hard to believe that any job shortage can exist in the paradise most of us think of as Hawaii, the cold truth is that, just like the rest of the country, Hawaii is experience a nursing shortage that will only deepen with time.

One study found that by the year 2020, the nation as a whole will be have a shortage of one million nurses, while Hawaii will have an estimated shortage of approximately 2670 nurses.

Does Hawaii Recognize ADN Programs for Registered Nursing?

Yes, Hawaii does recognize ADN (Associate’s Degree in Nursing) programs for the purposes of becoming a registered nurse. The Hawaiian Board of Nursing has several approved ADN programs in Hawaii, including schools in the cities of Honolulu, Hilo, Lihue and Kahului. In addition, the Hawaiian Board of Nursing also recognizes ADN degrees from other states, or from distance learning institutions, as long as they are properly accredited. Approximately 40% of all Hawaii’s nursing degrees come from long-distance learning institutions.

Am I at a Disadvantage in Hawaii If I Obtain an ADN Degree instead of a B.S.?

Hawaii is unique among the states in that, despite the nursing shortage, there is a large push to make the B.S. degree the preferred degree over the ADN degree. Even so, only 60% of registered nurses in Hawaii have a B.S. degree, so an ADN degree is a perfectly acceptable method of becoming a registered nurse. Some of Hawaii’s ADN programs are now working in affiliation with universities in Hawaii to provide a nursing education that will enable the student to be hired at varying degrees of professional responsibility while obtaining their degree. For example, a student might qualify as a nurse’s aide after one semester in the ADN program, an LPN after one year in the ADN program, a Registered Nurse (RN) upon completion of the ADN program (and the passage of the licensing exam required by the Hawaiian Board of Nursing) and then be provided a seamless transition to a school that will allow the student to complete his or her four year degree while working as an RN with an ADN.

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Training Schools: 2 Year Nursing Programs in Hawaii

Kapiolani Community College Nursing

4303 Diamond Head Road

Honolulu, Hawaii 96816

(808) 734-9303

In keeping with the Hawaiian Board of Nursing’s decision to encourage RN’s to obtain an B.S. degree over an Associate Degree Nursing (AND) degree, KCC has recently aligned itself with the University of Hawaii in Manoa so that ADN graduates can, if they choose, transition smoothly into the BSN program at the Manoa campus. KCC offers a traditional two year degree, which, once the prerequisite courses are completed, will end in four semesters and one summer term.

Kauai Community College Career Ladder Nursing Program

University of Hawaii – Kauai Community College

3-1901 Kaumualii Highway

Lihue, Hawaii 96766

(808) 245-8325

Kauai has been offering nursing courses since 1958. Its first nursing course of study was for an LPN license. However, in 1973 Kauai began offering an ADN course of study as a well. Kauai calls its program a “career ladder” program because it is set up so that a student can, if he or she chooses, leave the program after the first year eligible to take the NCLEX-LPN, or continue through the second year of study, obtain his or her associate’s degree and be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN. Part of the reason for this division in the curriculum is the belief of the nursing department that every level of nursing is important to patient care, so it wished to be sure that each program was emphasized equally.

Hawaii Community College

200 West Kawili Street

Hilo, Hawaii 96720

(808) 974-7560

This college’s ADN program received the Hawaii State Vocational Association’s “Most Outstanding Vocational Program” Award in 1998. The school is located in the city of Hilo, on the big island of Hawaii. The Associates Degree Nursing program results in the student being awarded an associate’s degree and becoming eligible to apply for his or her nursing license and take the NCLEX-RN. The program at HCC consists of 42 credit hours in nursing courses, along with 30 credits for non-nursing prerequisite and co-requisite courses.

UH Maui Community College

310 Kaahumanu Avenue

Kahului, Hawaii 96732

(808) 984-3250

Located on the north shore of the Hawaiian island of Maui, Kahului and with 26,337 people as of the recent census, it is the third largest community in Hawaii. UH Maui Community College has a career ladder program, as do several of the other ADN programs in Hawaii, but this school’s program is unique in that it starts with the LPN program and carries all the way through (if the student desires) to a Master of Science in Nursing. For purposes of the ADN program, that means that a student has two options upon completion of their ADN work – he or she can choose to move out into the work force by obtaining an RN license upon completion of the NCLEX-RN, or can choose to continue forward towards the BSN.