Chaminade University of Honolulu

Nursing & Health Professions

Building a Framework for School of Nursing Excellence: A Marianist Way

Chaminade Nursing Professor Dr. Edna Magpantay-Monroe presented her research on building a Marianist framework for nursing education at a national conference in the nation’s capital recently.

Edna Magpantay-Monroe

More than 2,000 nursing professionals attended the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society biennial conference in November. Magpantay-Monroe was among those invited to present her research in a poster presentation. She also attended the conference as a nursing honor society delegate.

Magpantay-Monroe’s research came out of an 18-month project with the Sigma Theta Tau International’s Emerging Educational Administrator Institute, a highly-selective program designed to mentor experienced faculty who aspire to become administrators in higher education.

Her research project ― “Building a Framework for School of Nursing Excellence: A Marianist Way” ― focused on the unique ways Marianist institutions like Chaminade University can prepare aspiring nurses for successful and fulfilling careers in healthcare and inspire them with a strong public service mission.

Magpantay-Monroe is a founding faculty member at Chaminade’s Honolulu School of Nursing, and has more than 30 years of experience in the field. Her research focuses on emotional intelligence, mindfulness and coaching, along with a number of patient-centered areas in healthcare. She also serves in a number of professional organizations, including Sigma Theta Tau International’s Hawaii chapter, which was founded in 1978 and is comprised of members at nursing schools statewide.

Dr. Eurina Cha Receives Bright Society Award

An international organization on a mission to promote peaceful, healthier communities recently honored Chaminade’s Associate Professor Dr. Eurina Cha for her years of work in public and community health.

Dr. Eurina Cha receives 2019 Bright Society Award

Cha was the recipient of the 2019 Bright Society Award from the Global Cooperative Society International-Hawaii chapter. Leaders from the non-governmental organization presented Cha with the honor at a special gathering in December at the Waialae Country Club.

Global Cooperative Society (GCS) was launched in Korea and is well-known across Asia.

A number of Korean and Korean-American community leaders attended the GCS awards ceremony, including representatives from the Hawaii Korean Chamber of Commerce, Hawaii Korean Association, National Unification Advisory Council, and Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Honolulu.

Dr. Eurina Cha receives 2019 Bright Society Award

Ronald Moon, former chief justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court, presented Cha’s award.

Cha, a certified advanced public health nurse, has more than 25 years of experience in nursing and frequently volunteers her time at community events. She’s also the lead faculty member at an annual event on Hawaii Island that provides health screenings and education in a culturally sensitive way.

The Bright Society Award is presented to community leaders working to make society “brighter.”

Cha said she was honored to receive the award. In her acceptance speech, she said, “I shared my pride in being a nurse educator at Chaminade and public health professional to serve the community, particularly Korean-American communities, to promote a happier and healthier community.”

Welcome Dr. Rhoberta Haley

Dr. Haley joined the Chaminade ‘ohana as dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions in May 2019.

Dr. Rhoberta Haley, dean of the school of nursing and health professions.

When Dr. Rhoberta Haley came across the job posting for dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions at Chaminade University, she knew instantly it was the right fit.

“It felt like it was a blessing,” says Haley. “I think Chaminade is a great university.”

What first attracted her was the Chaminade mission and its commitment toward advancing and serving underrepresented communities
and populations.

“I love the emphasis on social justice and serving vulnerable populations. Chaminade has a wonderful mission, and nursing is a really good fit for that mission. It’s just a very nice synergy.”

Throughout her career, Haley has seen firsthand how nursing can transform communities. “A degree in nursing can be life-changing, especially if you are the first person in your family to go to college. When you become a nurse you have that healthcare knowledge, and that benefits your family, neighbors, friends and communities. You serve people everywhere you go.”

She was also drawn to the fact that Chaminade has an incredibly diverse student body. Just last year, Chaminade was listed as having the highest percentage of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students in the nation, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. Haley believes nurses should represent the people they take care of, and starting with a diverse group of students is essential. “We need men and women, people from all kinds of ethnic and racial backgrounds to inform how we care for patients.”

Haley brings with her 40 years of experience in nursing and nursing education, including from academic leadership positions in California, Nevada, Illinois, Indiana and Arizona.

She sees a lot of potential at Chaminade. Amongst her highest priorities: partnering with community healthcare groups to see where Chaminade can add value, and growing the program offerings within the School of Nursing and Health Professions. She also sees an opportunity to grow the current simulation center and develop even more experiential learning opportunities for students.

“Luckily, we have a really strong faculty. They’ve been here; they’re experienced nurses and educators.” To Haley, that’s critical. “You want to have a core group of faculty that understand the university and the mission and are really dedicated to our students.”

She’s excited to work with the faculty this fall to build a comprehensive plan and vision for the school driven by research, community and regional needs, employer demands and partner support.

“We’re positioned in a really nice way. We’ve already started a really good nursing school and it’s been successful,” says Haley. “This is the time to start adding programs and growing, and offering more to our region.”

Student Nurses’ Association Receives National Recognition

The Chaminade Student Nurses’ Association (SNA) will be recognized by the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA) as one of its Stellar School Chapters at the NSNA 67th Annual Convention next month. According to Chaminade’s chief nurse administrator and nursing professor Edna Magpantay-Monroe, Chaminade is the first school in Hawaii to receive this designation.

School of Nursing students

Stellar School Chapters are recognized for their continuing participation and contribution to the national association, and for their dedication to shared governance and professional development.

Schools that applied for this award were assessed based on five categories of criteria such as official constituency status and chapter leadership participation, and NSNA program involvement and service learning. Applicants were required to submit explanations and evidentiary material that demonstrated how they met the criteria.

Completing the application for the Stellar School Chapter Recognition was a team effort for Chaminade’s SNA. Club president Spencer Lee spearheaded the effort under the direction of faculty advisors Lorin Ramocki and Sharon Jensen.

Jensen will be taking a group of Chaminade nursing students to the NSNA convention on April 3-7 in Salt Lake City, Utah, where they will accept the award. Chaminade is one of eight schools to receive the Stellar School Chapter Recognition this year.

The NSNA Annual Convention provides more than 3,000 nursing students with an opportunity to attend workshops and network. NSNA consists of 60,000 members from all 50 states as well as from the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

HOSA Club Celebrates Win at State Competition

Nursing students with their award at HOSA competitionThe Chaminade HOSA-Future Health Professionals club began in the spring semester of 2018. By summer, they had two wins under their belt from a statewide and international competition.

Now the club has added two more awards to its list of accomplishments after competing in this year’s Hawaii HOSA Fourteenth Annual Student Leadership Conference, which was held at the Hawaii Convention Center from February 26–27.

Chaminade is one of eight postsecondary institutions and 23 high schools in Hawaii that participated in the statewide HOSA competition. HOSA is an international organization with 57 chapters around the world. It provides opportunities for students interested in healthcare to build their skillset, knowledge and leadership abilities through competitions, networking events and community service.

Nursing students with their award at HOSA competitionChaminade’s HOSA club competed and placed in the Public Health and Extemporaneous Health Poster categories. A team of seven students, led by HOSA club president Rosemarie Maltezo, won first place for their Public Health team video presentation on disaster preparedness. Sophomore Jeni Marin Ruis won second place for her live poster presentation on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 6|18 Initiative, which aims to reduce healthcare costs by addressing six expensive health conditions like asthma and high blood pressure.

“The feeling of winning in the different categories is exhilarating,” Maltezo said. “Hard work does pay off, with months of prepping and planning.”

Both groups will take their projects to the HOSA International Leadership Conference at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida, this summer. At last year’s international conference in Texas, Chaminade’s HOSA club won second place in the Public Health category for its video on dating violence.

Nursing Students Win International Competition

As a freshman, Rosemarie knew she wanted to create a Chaminade HOSA club. “I wanted to start it right away in fall when I first came to Chaminade,” says the nursing major. “But since I was a freshman I didn’t really know what to do yet. In spring, I got some upperclassmen to help me and from there we started our various community service projects and going to competitive events. Now Chaminade has an official HOSA club that’s affiliated with the international organization.”

Rosemarie Maltezo has been a member of HOSA-Future Health Professionals ever since high school. The international student organization is designed to empower future healthcare leaders and member students participate in community service, leadership opportunities, networking events and competitions.

The Chaminade club started in the spring semester of 2018. Within a few months, they had won first place in the statewide HOSA competition for their project on preventing teen dating violence. By the summer of 2018, they had won second place in the international competition in Dallas, Texas.

“We had to give a 10-minute presentation on a public health topic,” says Rosemarie. “We wanted to show the signs and symptoms of dating violence so to think outside of the box we put together a video that told the story of three different teenage girls. The video seemed to really hit the judges, they seemed like they were about to cry.”

The team is already eagerly awaiting next year’s competition in Orlando, Florida. They hope to expand the club to include other students interested in healthcare from other majors and bring even more team members with them next year. “Students interested in business can do it too,” says Rosemarie. “Anyone who is interested in something health-related can join.”

Watch a video that Rosemarie and her team created about their experience at HOSA in Dallas. Then, watch the award-winning video that Rosemarie and her HOSA team created for the competition.