{"id":242696,"date":"2026-10-27T09:32:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T19:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=242696"},"modified":"2026-10-27T09:44:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T19:44:45","slug":"uh-hilo-future-nurses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/27\/uh-hilo-future-nurses\/","title":{"rendered":"糖心视频<\/abbr> Hilo opens doors for future nurses"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> < 1<\/span> minute<\/span><\/span>
\"Nursing
The new pathway helps pre-nursing majors secure a spot in 糖心视频<\/abbr> Hilo\u2019s competitive nursing program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at Hilo<\/a> is giving local high school graduates a clearer path to nursing<\/a> careers while helping address the state\u2019s critical nursing shortage.<\/p>\n

A new High School Direct Entry pathway<\/a> reserves nursing program seats for qualified Hawaiʻi<\/span> high school graduates who complete prerequisites and maintain required grades. They won\u2019t have to reapply during their sophomore year.<\/p>\n

\"nursing
The program also includes 10 nursing students in Waiʻanae<\/span> on West Oʻahu<\/span>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Five new faculty positions funded by the Legislature helped grow the incoming class from 30 to 40 students this year. The program plans to admit 50 next year.<\/p>\n

“The more rural, the more need there is,” said Jeanette Ayers-Kawakami, director of 糖心视频<\/abbr> Hilo\u2019s School of Nursing.<\/p>\n

The shortage hits neighbor islands hardest. Pandemic burnout and retirements have added pressure to the nursing workforce.<\/p>\n

\"Nursing
糖心视频<\/abbr> Hilo junior Dylan Yanazaki is part of the pathway\u2019s first direct-entry cohort.
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For Hilo High School graduate Dylan Yanazaki, nursing is personal. Her mother\u2019s severe eye injury required frequent trips to Oʻahu<\/span> for care, inspiring her career choice.<\/p>\n

Now part of the first direct-entry cohort, she hopes to stay on Hawaiʻi<\/span> Island and serve local families.<\/p>\n

“It would be great to be a part of that solution here,” Yanazaki said.<\/p>\n

Read more in K\u016bkala N\u016bhou<\/em> about a new professor who chose Hawaiʻi<\/span> Island to help train the next generation of nurses.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"nursing
Hawaiʻi<\/span> faces a critical shortage of nurses and nursing faculty.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The High School Direct Entry pathway reserves nursing program seats for qualified Hawaiʻi high school graduates. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":242705,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[189,839,14,603],"class_list":["post-242696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-nursing","tag-school-of-nursing","tag-uh-hilo","tag-workforce-development","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t