Hawaii Pacific University Nursing School

[jpeters84]

I just wanted to take some time and give my opinion about attending nursing school at Hawaii Pacific University. I remember last year when I was considering attending HPU and I asked in this forum if anyone knew what the nursing school at HPU was like and did not get many responses. So I wanted to offer some information in case anyone is considering attending and also to make sure that the school is accountable in some way for the good and bad way in which it treats it's students.

First off, HPU does have some good things going for it. It's a small school, in a beautiful area, that is very international where you get exposure to many different cultures and people. Some of the professors that I have had have been amazing and inspiring. Some of my fellow students have been intelligent and wonderful, but most of the students are not what I would consider "stellar" or motivated people.

With that being said I have had many dissapointing and frustrating experiences with the University to the point where I just cannot in good conscience recommend it to anyone. I am a mature, hard-working, adult student. When I was accepted at HPU I was told that I could start clinicals after one semester of finishing some prerequisites because they were transfering most of my prerequisites from the college I had attended prior to HPU. Unfortunately it took me three semesters and thousands of extra dollars because of the way their system works. The only way you get a spot in clinicals is by the number of credits you have from HPU. As a transfer student you are at a disctinct disadvantage. When i arrived at HPU to get into clinical you needed 15, after a semester it was 30, finally after taking 19-20credits spring semester I got in with 45. Had I known that it was going to take me three extra semesters to start clinicals I highly doubt I would have come to HPU, but they conveinently leave this information out when they send you your acceptance letter.

Dealing with the nursing school administration is like dealing with DMV on crack. The HPU Nursing Office has got to be the absolute most disorganized, ill-logical place on the planet. I really think a clincal study needs to be done on how an environment can foster such lack of organization and common sense. Nothing is ever really clear or well-planned out. Every semester you have to deal with some stupidity that threatens your chance at being in the program. Whether it's clinical health requirements that constantly get changed, lost, or whether it's the nursing curriculum where instead of thinking you'll be able to do a semester of clinicals in the summer in order to graduate the follwoing spring, but they decide out of the blue to not offer those clinicals this summer so you're stuck at the school even longer, it all is just too much to bear.

I've had friends endure horror stories that could make nursing students ears bleed. Whether it was my friends who mentioned to a nursing professor that you might want to aspirate the needle before giving the injection, and the instructor being so embaressed she tried to make his life miserable for the rest of the semester and tried to find grounds to ultimately fail him, or the time I got a letter saying that because I have so many credits I am now ineligable to receive any financial aid in the future (with two more years of clinicals to go at $10,080 a semester). The school knew how many credits I had when I transfered and how many credits I was going to need to graduate, why didn't they tell me this before I came?

I know every school has it's good and bad points and I think nursing schools are exceptionally prone to disorganization and frustrating moments. With that being said I think HPU really takes advantage of it's students, both their money and their sanity, and it's time that other people needed to know about it. The school feels like it can make thee demands because their are so many nursing students that want to attend but if people knew the truth this just wouldn't be the case. So my advice to anyone considering HPU is to think long and hard about your financial situation, about your sanity, and about if you want to go to a school that really doesn't have it together nor cares that when it's screwing you. I also really want to save anyone else from what I've had to go through with this school.

[jpeters84]

The one thing I've learned is that you just have to play the game to get through the system. I'm still just starting out and I'm still learning the game but it's a little bit like being in the military I imagine. You overprepare for everything, you make sure you're early, never late, that your uniform is always perfect, and you never want to stand out too much positively or negatively because someone is going to knock you off that pedestool. If you're busting your butt and you're keeping your head down and being quiet and just working hard the professors tend to like you or not give you a hard time. If you're one of those students that constantly has an excuse or is late or forgets things or doesn't push themselves or is loud during clinical or class then the professor thinks you need to be taught a lesson about professionalism or thinks you're not taking nursing school seriously and they get ****** and look for a reason to give you an academic warning, to make your life miserable, to say a hurtful comment, or worse not pass you.

So angelluv whatever happened forget about it. This school can be so so tough on you. Just think positive thoughts and forget about the things you can't control. When you take the class again be sure to be uber-prepared, work your butt-off, and lay low in class. We're all just doing whatever we can to get through this hellish process as soon as possible. I think the faster we all learn to play the game I hope the easiest it get's to navigate the treacherous waters that is HPU SON. I will say with all that being said I have had some glimmers of good even amazing moments during the semester, mainly during my clinical. Here's for hoping that things get better for us next semester!

Oh and P.S. I wouldn't go talk to the deans unless it's a major emergency like they're threatening to kick you out of the program. The nursing school administration generally doesn't like it when student's come to them with grievances about professors and tends to give the tough luck, too bad response almost always in those situations. Don't muddy the waters unless you absolutely have to. It may not seem fair but it's the way it is.

[angelluv]

hi thank you for your support you are absolutely right and i don't have any intention to complaint to the dean:nono. Even my friend who graduated at hpu told me the same thing. Teachers at hpu stick together and what can i do eh. Anyways i did not failed the clinical i failed that stupid video the teacher did not like me i guess. anyway what semester are you in now if you dont mind me asking. I;m just curious and one thing more we should not be talking about those teachers because they might be a member here and we might get in trouble you know.Anyway thanks again.

[starlessbark]

Hello

I am starting level 2 in the spring. I was wondering if any of you had any advice. I am pretty nervous about it. Any advice is appreciated. THanks.

[jpeters84]

I heard that clinical at Castle is nice but that you don't get to do that much. Overall though I bet you'll have a great experience. It could be worse. The system could have dropped you from all of your classes and then froze so that by then time you could get an advisor to register you you got your very last choice which is what happened to me...I am so scared for next semester with who I have!

[angelluv]

hi the best advice i can give is go to ratemyprofessor.com there is a lot of students made comment about the teachers and she might be there. At least you can see what people write about her. Good luck to you and hopefully you get the good ones.

[kelsie*bear]

Hi,

Just wanted to know how everyone's doing in their clinicals?? I've been accepted to level I and they have now added a requirement for TEAS testing. Oh well another add-ons. After taking math for meds and pharm (dropped), I'm getting scared thinking I can't make it. The more I read in here about the school, the more I want to switch school. The only reason I am sticking to this school is because I can only attend school part-time because of my new born baby. Once you're in clinicals, do they change the curriculum like they do before you get into the levels? I have invested so much time and money in this school that quitting is out of the question. Just hope to hear that most of the professors at this school would like to see you succeed and not fail.

[jpeters84]

Kelsie Bear,

I wish I could tell you it's been easy once I got into the program, but well, it hasn't. Because our NCLEX scores are so incredibly low to keep our accrediation the school has had to institue all of these changes such as ATI, TEAS testing, 10% of all exams are math for meds, academic warnings that get handed out like candy, skill check offs at every level. For the most part I think these are good things. It's just the way that HPU does them that are so aweful. They put undue pressure on us, do not communicate to us at all, and treat us like children. Plus you are threatened around every corner to get kicked out of the program, and I'm a good student I've maintained a 3.7 gpa. They've changed the curriculum on my level twice now adding two extra semesters at a ridiculous expense for us students. I couldn't be more frustrated or have more dislike for HPU. Personally, I think the administrators should be ashamed of themselves. The best you can do is get good instructors and work your heart out. The one saving grace is that there are a few good instructors at this school that make some of the B.S. worth it. WHO YOU TAKE FOR NURSING CLASSES MAKES OR BREAKS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT HPU SO CHOOSE WISELY!

And for the love of god do not wait to take math for meds or pharm with level one, you will regret it! Level one is hard enough...

Good luck to you. All I know to say is keep your head up and if things get really bad Chaminade is openning a nursing school this year and maybe you can transfer...Also many level one students are starting a class action lawsuit against the university for changing admission requirements without telling anyone. Maybe the school will snap into shape once it's sued. Food for thought...

[donsterRN, ASN, BSN]

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[kelsie*bear]

Hi Jpeters84,

Thanks so much for your response! This is a major regret that I have in my life for stepping foot into HPU. I have people come up to me and ask if they should attend nursing at HPU and I tell them "don't". I really thought that the change in requirements were only those who are trying to get into the program. It is so sad to hear that they are doing this in your nursing level too. We just had a new dean too...what happened?!?! Everyone thought things were going to change for the better, but I guess it's still the same. I know what you mean about good and bad professors, some are just out there to fail you and not work with you. Thank you so much for your input on the professors, registration for fall is here and I need to think fast. Good luck to you in the upcoming levels.

[janettezp]

I have been reading the thread on this topic - HPU Nursing School. My daughter is a senior in high school desiring to enter a university to obtain her BSN. She has been accepted to the nursing program at HPU (which I am beginning to see everyone is). After what I am reading here, I am getting an ill feeling about choosing HPU. We live in Southern Cal and it is so difficult to get into nursing. What are your thoughts? Go for HPU or stick it out here in Calif? She is also young, would be going there at the age of 17 - what is the on-campus housing like? Also, what has been the actual yearly cost at HPU? Thanks so much for your input.

[jpeters84]

Please Please Please encourage your daughter to stick it out in california. I'm for San Francisco and decided to go to HPU and just get my degree faster rather than stick it out in California and boy was I wrong! I was told by HPU that I would be able to start my clinicals right away after taking a semester of online classes over the summer prior to my arrival to Hawaii. When I went to register for nursing classes thinking that I got into level one I found out that the HPU credits that you needed to get into the nursing curriculumn was 30, way more than the one semester 15 credits that I was told that I would need. Then the next semester it was 45. It took me three semesters and tens of thousands of dollars to get into the nursing program and then my headaches with the program really began.

We have a new dean. Pressured by our EXTREMELY low NCLEX pass scores which generally reflect the quality of the nursing program she was forced to implement new admission requirements for the nursing program, and she did so without telling students until one week before they announced who made the list for level one. Students now have to take the TEAS test (which is required for a number of Cali schools as well) and now your science gpa is given more weight than your HPU credits. Also if you get a c or d or f in a pre-requisite you have to take the prerequisite at least 2 more times because all of your grades in that course have to average out to a B. So if you get a D in organic chemistry and you retake it and get an A, you have to retake it a third time so that a D, an A, and an A will average out to a passing percentage. (another way for the school to make money, hold students there longer).

Also once I got into the program it has been terrible problem after terrible problem. They changed the curriculum on my level so instead of taking 5 semesters it's going to take us 6 or 7 to graduate. They screwed up with the curriculum change and because 2 levels are now taking the same classes there may not be enough clinical spots at the hospital for us, they can't even tell us for sure which means it will take another semester on top of the 6 or 7 to graduate.

They treat the students incredibly poorly. Orientation, instead of welcoming the students, they start with the threats of what not to wear, academic warnings, dangerous practices, etc. They threaten to kick you out around every corner, there are some professors that choose to motivate you by demeaning you. The deans cancel appointments with students. Morale among students and professors for that matter couldn't be lower. The financial aid office is a nightmare, the health requirements office is a nightmare. The entire time at HPU has been a complete and utter nightmare. I could not regret my decision more.

Your daughter may have received a beautiful "you've been admitted to the school of nursing certificate", it's total BS. DO NOT let that fool you. That does not mean that she is in the nursing program. All that means is that she is a pre-nursing major. There are currently 1700 nursing students right now of which 400 are actually in the nursing program. The rest are trying to get into one of the 140 spots to start the program, you do the math on how many don't make it. I feel sorry for the kids that have been waiting semester after semester taking classes that have nothing to do with nursing, at a tune of thousands of dollars each semester, just hoping they'll get a spot in a really poorly run program.

The school is very expensive and the tuition keeps going up. Currently HPU is at $900 a unit for the nuring classes. They find ways to rip you off. They told my level that we will not be able to take any classes this semester except for one at the tune of $5000. Then next semester if we take our full curriculum it will be $9000. If you don't take that class over the summer you'll have 6 classes which is nearly impossibe but you'll only have to pay the $10,000 a semester saving yourself $4000. So you either take the summer class at $4000 more or you suffer in the fall with 6 classes. The school is ridiculous!

Some of the professors are horrid. Some are pretty darn good. But overall please save your daughter and your family thousands of dollars and a very awful experience. Also I must warn you guys, because HPU's NCLEX pass rates are so low our accreditation may be in jeopardy. I don't know this for sure but I do know our pass rates and they are so low there is no way our accrediation is not being watched. If a school looses their accrediation before you get your degree then you course work means nothing and you will have to start all over again somewhere else. Hawaii is one of the only states where the nursing schools aren't required to report the NCLEX pass rates, and it's that way for a reason.

Tell your daughter to keep her GPA up and keep vigilantly applying to those california schools. California has the best schools and it will be without the drauma and huge debt. I would advise on applying to both state schools and even community college programs. If your daughter wants her BSN I understand, but you may be able to get into a community college right away if she's lucky with the admissions lottery, the california community colleges have excellent NCLEX pass rates (google "califnornia nclex pass rates" and check it out), and your daughter could very easily go onto finish the two years of BSN work once she graduates. Looking back I wish I had gone that route.

Good luck to you and your daughter. Please let me know if you have any questions. If you daughter wants to speak to me, you can send me a message through this site and I'll give you my cell number and happily answer any questions about HPU or getting into nursing schools in california. Good luck!!!!

[jpeters84]

P.S. if she does decide to go through with the nursing program at HPU do not put her in on-campus housing it's horrible. Have her live at the Ohia, run by Hawaii Student Housing, which is a private dorm in Waikiki. They took an old hotel and made it into a private dorm. Not the nicest, but not bad either. It's the best option.

I would say that I would have had an extremely difficult time making it through HPU's nursing program at 17/18 years old. I'm 28 now, this is my second degree and fighting my way through the insanity at HPU has taken everything out of me. I think your daughter would do much better at somewhere like San Diego State or Chico state or Sacramento state all which have excellent nursing programs and she won't have to fight these battles at HPU.