Chaminade University of Honolulu

Nursing & Health Professions

Doctor of Nursing Practice Immersion

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program helps to address a shortage of healthcare providers

Members of Chaminade’s newest Doctor of Nursing Practice cohort gathered on campus this week for a series of seminars, trainings and social events aimed at starting their new academic journey off right.

The DNP Immersion agenda included a special welcome address from Chaminade President Lynn Babington, who congratulated the new students for advancing their education to better serve others. “Chaminade is proud to play an important role in educating our future leaders in healthcare and expert clinicians,” Babington said, speaking to the nine new students in this year’s DNP cohort.

Three recent Silversword nursing graduates—Ashley Jardine ’24, Lisa Kawamura ’24 and Daniel Gardner ’24—are among the new DNP candidates and said they’re motivated to help address the shortage of healthcare providers in Hawaii and help prepare the next generation of nurses for the islands.

“I always wanted to be in healthcare,” said Gardner, who currently serves as a registered nurse at Kalihi Elementary. “My dad was a Green Beret medic and he helped a lot of people, which is what I want to do.”

Cohort member Jacqueline “Jacquie” Bassett is focusing on the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track of the DNP, which is the highest clinical degree available in the nursing field. A nurse with the oncology ward at Straub Medical Center, Bassett hopes to relocate to Hawaii Island after completing her doctoral degree because so many communities are healthcare deserts.

“They desperately need mental healthcare workers there,” Bassett said.

“My parents own a homecare facility on the Big Island, and they see firsthand the need for—not just physical healthcare but mental healthcare, as well.”

  • Chaminade President Lynn Babington, Ph.D., congratulated the new cohort of Doctor of Nursing programs for advancing their education.
    Chaminade President Lynn Babington, Ph.D., congratulated the new cohort of Doctor of Nursing programs for advancing their education.
  • Maryann Kaiwi Salvador, FNP-BC ’23 gave a ZOOM presentation to the new cohort of Doctor of Nursing Program students.
    Maryann Kaiwi Salvador, FNP-BC ’23 gave a ZOOM presentation to the new cohort of Doctor of Nursing Program students.
  • Doctor of Nursing Program students listened as Maryann Kaiwi Salvador, FNP-BC ’23 talked about her capstone DNP project.
    Doctor of Nursing Program students listened as Maryann Kaiwi Salvador, FNP-BC ’23 talked about her capstone DNP project.

A two-day program, the DNP Immersion on campus was led by School of Nursing Associate Dean and DNP Director Pam Smith, with the help of faculty members Linda Malone, Sandra Bourgette-Henry, Dana Monday and Marife Aczon-Armstrong. The agenda over the two days included introductions, faculty-led discussions about goals and motivation, scholarly writing and the significance of Hawaiian culture.

Maryann Kaiwi Salvador, DNP, FNP-BC ’24 also presented her capstone project to the group via Zoom, explaining that she focused her research on chronic kidney disease. She told students it’s critical to find an area of interest that keeps them interested—and drives them to contribute more to the field.

“When you think about the development of your DNP project, ask yourself: What is your passion?” Salvador said, during her presentation. “There will be bumps on the road and setbacks, but persevere and be ready to switch gears. Remember that your professors, your instructors, your clinical advisors and your mentors all believe in you. So believe in yourself.”

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Designed for registered nurses or advanced practice nurses, Chaminade’s DNP program emphasizes clinical expertise, leadership and the ability to translate research into practice, making DNPs well-suited to address the healthcare needs of isolated or marginalized populations, program leaders said.

The DNP’s newest cohort members kick off their doctoral journeys amid an ongoing shortage of healthcare professionals across the state, including for nurses—and particularly in specialties like primary care and mental health. Program leaders said DNPs bring advanced training to the field, giving them the ability to diagnose, treat, and manage a wide range of health conditions.

During her presentation, Salvador told students she will be joining Na Pu’uwai Native Hawaiian Health Care Systems on Molokai next week. “So when you think about your DNP project, think of where it might lead you,” she said.

In Chaminade’s DNP program, students can choose from one of four concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner or Post-Master’s Executive Leader. 

“This DNP program will help you enhance your leadership skills,” Salvador said.

“You’ll get all the encouragement and support you will need from faculty and advisors to continue furthering your education. Congratulations on choosing to pursue your DNP.”

Pinning Ceremony

Seventy-one newly graduated nurses receive ceremonial Nursing Pin

For the past four years, Brittany Johnson quipped that “all I’ve ever known are the overly caffeinated nursing majors.” As the undergraduate student speaker during Chaminade’s 66th Commencement Ceremony, the newly minted nurse took the opportunity to share the life lessons that she has learned during her years at Henry Hall. Earlier in the day, she and 70 of her fellow Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree candidates experienced another milestone: they received their symbolic pins during the Pinning Ceremony at Sacred Hearts Academy.

Seventy-one nursing students received their ceremonal Nursing Pins during the annual Pinning Ceremony that occurs the morning of commencement.
Seventy-one nursing students received their ceremonal Nursing Pins during the annual Pinning Ceremony that occurs the morning of commencement.

“Your position in life will change, so put your head down and work with pride in whatever position you may find yourself in in this life,” Johnson advised to her fellow graduates. “You never know where you might end up.”

The Pinning Ceremony represents a significant rite of passage for nursing students, marking their transition from nursing school to the professional world. It is a meaningful tradition with a rich history, symbolizing the nurses’ dedication to their field, their commitment to patient care and their readiness to join the nursing profession.

“A pinning ceremony is a time to welcome newly graduating nurses to the profession,” said Pamela Smith, Interim Co-Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions. “We gather for this occasion to mark the transition from student nurse to graduate nurse, and to celebrate the start of a professional practice in nursing.”

The tradition of pinning dates back to the 12th century, when the Crusaders received a badge to distinguish them for their service in caring for the sick and injured. Later in the 1860s, Florence Nightingale devoted herself to caring for casualties of the Crimean War. In recognition of her service, she was awarded The Red Cross of St. George.

Nightingale then extended the honor by presenting medals of excellence to the most deserving student graduates at The Nightingale School of Nursing in London. Today, nursing schools around the world give a Nursing Pin to represent a medal of excellence to their student nurses upon graduation. Each school of nursing pin has its own distinct design, which represents the symbols, colors and phrases that illustrate the mission and philosophy of the school.

“In addition to congratulating each member of our Class of 2024 nursing students, I would like to personally thank you all for your pledge to serve in this noblest of professions,” said Dr. Lynn Babington, Chaminade president, who is also a former nurse and healthcare administrator. “Nursing is a noble profession, requiring dedication of mind, body and heart. Nurses make a difference every day, touching lives and changing outcomes for the better.”

Nurturing Nurses

Answering the call for Hawaii’s need for more healthcare providers

Some graduates work at The Queen’s Medical Center while others are employed by Hawaii Pacific Health and Kaiser Permanente. A few work in telemedicine with Pali Momi and Straub Medical Center. Since the Hawai‘i State Board of Nursing officially gave Chaminade University the green light to launch a nursing program in Fall 2010, the School of Nursing and Health Professions (SNHP) has graduated more than 600 nurses who have contributed to our community’s healthcare needs in various settings, including hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics and other environments.

“Our nursing program has a highly distinctive approach to nursing,” says Chaminade Provost and Senior Vice President Lance Askildson. “Our graduates are well rounded and play an essential role in their communities to advocate for health promotion.”

Nursing stands as the cornerstone of the healthcare workforce, yet the demand for nurses is poised to escalate in the coming decade. Shifting population dynamics, advancements in technology and evolving healthcare models are set to catalyze an expansion in nursing roles, necessitating a highly educated nursing workforce. Compounded by the aging of the current nursing workforce and the impending wave of retirements, the United States is on track to face a significant nursing shortage by 2025, with Hawai‘i projected to experience a deficit of 3,311 professional nurses, according to an article published in Hawai‘i’s Journal of Medicine & Public Health.

This year's White Coat Ceremony included 119 nursing students who are now officially in their clinical stages of their education.
This year’s White Coat Ceremony included 119 nursing students who are now officially in their clinical stages of their education.

In their research titled, Hawaii’s Nursing Workforce: Keeping Pace with Healthcare, the co-authors Sandra A LeVasseur, Ph.D., RN and Kristine Qureshi, Ph.D., RN, FAAN conclude that as healthcare needs change, academic, healthcare and community partners must be prepared to respond by developing innovative educational delivery models, new specialty programs and diverse clinical placement opportunities to ensure a pipeline of competent nurses across the state.  

“The school just went through an external review” Askildson says. “The purpose of the review was to examine the current curriculum, capacities and profile of the School in order to identify opportunities for strategic investment and change that will strengthen academic excellence and student success in keeping with our University mission and ethos, and the enduring values of our School of Nursing and Health Professions.”

In compiling their report on the SONHP, external reviewers Meredith Kazer, Ph.D., APRN, FAAN, (Team Lead), Beth P. Beckman, DNS, RN, FNP, NEA- BC, FAAN, Carrie M. Oliveira, Ph.D. and Marcia B. Proto, M.Ed, CAS met with faculty, staff, students and administrators, engaging stakeholders indiscussions that explored curricular issues, faculty and staff workload, the University’s commitment to ensuring a developmental approach to nursing and public health education, and exploring opportunities to further integrate SNHP programs in the service of Hawaii and its multicultural peoples.

Furthermore, the reviewers note that the supportive culture that has been created and maintained throughout SNHP and the University is a tremendous strength of the School, and provides a strong foundation upon which to build. Throughout all their meetings, reviewers wrote they found a “strong sense of teamwork and collaboration, and there is a strong mission-focus throughout Chaminade and the SNHP team that embodies the mission in their work.”

Presently, Hawai‘i boasts nine nursing programs dispersed across public and private universities and colleges. These programs have united in their efforts to align with the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations for the future of nursing. Through strategic partnerships and collaboration, the nursing landscape in Hawai‘i is undergoing a transformation. Practice boundaries are expanding, diverse pathways to advanced nursing education are being established, and nurses are forging alliances with other stakeholders to revolutionize healthcare delivery.

To guide strategic planning efforts, the Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing diligently collects and analyzes data on the nursing workforce. This ongoing assessment allows for informed decision-making tailored to the unique needs of the state’s population and healthcare landscape. Identified gaps in nursing specialty education, particularly in areas such as school health and mental health, are being addressed through targeted initiatives aimed at bolstering education and training opportunities in these critical areas.

“We want to continue to invest in our nursing program, which is one of the recommendations of the external reviewers,” Askildson says. “We want to continue to produce nurses without being transactional. Our nursing graduates are prized because they care deeply about their patients since they have a holistic approach to healthcare.”

‘Native Voices’

Traveling exhibit makes its first Hawaii stop at Sullivan Family Library

Among medical librarians, the “Native Voices: Native Peoples Concepts of Health and Illness” art exhibit is its own version of Taylor Swift’s “The Era Tours,” having traveled across the U.S. for more than a decade now. Officially opened at the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) on October 5, 2011, the multi-media interactive exhibition explores the interconnectedness of wellness, illness and cultural life for Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians.

With a keen and long-held desire to help improve public understanding of Native American health challenges and honor the culture, tradition and healing ways of Native Peoples, Donald A.B. Lindberg M.D. (National Library of Medicine’s director from 1984-2015) interviewed more than 80 Native American health and community leaders, resulting in over 250 video clips, the largest such collection of Native American videos known to exist.

While the exhibition’s usual iPad stands didn’t make the trip to Hawaii, you can still watch the videos online. The traveling exhibition that’s on display at Sullivan comprises six free-standing banners: the title banner introduces the exhibition; and each of the other five banners focuses on one of the main themes of Individual, Community, Nature, Tradition and Healing. The categories touch upon such topics as Native views and definitions of health and illness, Native views of land, food, community, the earth/nature, and Spirituality as they relate to Native health and illness, and contemporary and historical roles of traditional healing in Native Hawaiian, Alaska Native and Native American cultures.

Krystal Kakimoto stands in front of the free-standing panels that make up “Native Voices: Native Peoples Concepts of Health and Illness.”

“I think this exhibit will resonate with Chaminade students, and the community in general, because they might see parts of themselves reflected back to them in the panels of the exhibit,” says Krystal Kakimoto, ’22 (MBA), Sullivan Family Library’s liaison librarian and director of library technical services. “For too long, Native knowledge surrounding health has been dismissed. This exhibit gives viewers a chance to reflect and critically think about health and wellness while learning about the resilience and adaptation to change inherit to Native communities.”

Stories drawn from both the past and the present examine how the determinants of health for Native Hawaiians, Alaska Natives and American Indians are tied to community, the land and spirit. Through personal interviews, Native Peoples describe how individual and community wellness were affected by the political and cultural events of the 19th and 20th centuries. Individual reflections show the impact of epidemics, federal legislation, the loss of land and the inhibition of culture on the health of Native individuals and communities today. Collectively, these stories convey how Native people use both traditional and Western methods to enhance wellness, ultimately presenting an inspiring account of renaissance, recovery and self-determination.

Indeed, indigenous art often serves as a powerful medium for expressing cultural values, beliefs and experiences related to health and illness. Many indigenous cultures also hold holistic views of health that encompass physical, mental, spiritual and community well-being. “Native Voices” lays bare these interconnected aspects, emphasizing the importance of balance and harmony.

“I think the special twist on the Native part is that it’s so embedded in the land,” says one of the exhibit’s early key collaborators Marjorie Mau, M.D., physician and Chair of the Department of Native Hawaiian Health at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, in one of the 250 video clips. “It’s like if the land is abused or misused or not cared for, the people are reflected by that. Hopefully, future generations will understand at least when Native people are talking about who they are, and how they can take ownership of their wellness, that they’ll understand their wellness can spring from their homeland and from where they come from.”

“Native Voices: Native Peoples Concepts of Health and Illness” will be on display at the Sullivan Family Library until January 19.

“Chaminade University connects academic learning with the local community, environment and culture, creating a unique college experience for our students,” says Kakimoto, chairwoman of the Hawaii-Pacific Chapter of the Medical Library Association, an organization of consisting of professional librarians, individuals and institutions in health sciences libraries. “This philosophy takes learning beyond the traditional classroom and aims to make learning more relevant, engaging and applicable to the real world. I hope this exhibit continues our tradition of place-based learning to contextualize health in relation to the ʻāina.”

Triennial Aircraft Disaster Exercise

First responders put skills to the test during emergency response drill

Imagine an aircraft explosion on landing and the immediate aftermath. The moments after an airplane crash are undoubtedly critical, as nursing student Sigfried Halili ’23 learned firsthand during the Triennial Aircraft Disaster Exercise. This every-three-year, mandatory certification requirement by the Federal Aviation Administration tests airfield disaster preparedness and response by simulating a full-scale aircraft emergency disaster. The drill tests and evaluates the operational capacity of emergency response in a stress environment.

Mock patients in moulage (make-up) are treated by Chaminade nursing students during the Triennial Aircraft Disaster Exercise.

Divided among four groups colored Red, Green, Yellow and Black, Chaminade nursing students treated patients with varying injuries, with the Red group receiving the most seriously injured, the Green team tending to those with superficial abrasions and contusions, the Yellow team looking after patients in between Red and Green, and Black team announcing mortality.

“The firefighters and EMS would perform triage and assess where the injured passengers would be taken,” explained Halili, the senior representative of the Student Nursing Association. “Of the five patients I treated, one was mortally injured, another belonged to the Green category and the three others were in critical condition.”

This triennial, multi-agency exercise involved hundreds of volunteers—including 175 nursing students from Chaminade University—and airport personnel who acted as injured passengers. Participating agencies included Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) Airports Division staff, HDOT Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) units, Securitas, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration, City & County of Honolulu Fire and Police Departments, Emergency Medical Services, American Medical Response, Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam Federal Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Hawaii Department of Public Safety and airline personnel.

Volunteers portrayed passengers who were injured, uninjured, unresponsive, fainting, deceased, family, friends, responders, medical personnel and other miscellaneous roles. Make-up (moulage) was applied to simulate varying injuries, from deep lacerations to serious tissue wounds. Participants were also asked to “role play,” pretending to cry, scream with injuries and yell confusedly. Others acted grief stricken, angry and demanding information. All these roles were to simulate a real-life event to help responders to be better prepared. This exercise is an opportunity to get an on-scene and behind-scene view of a real-life emergency simulation.

The main focus for the nursing students during the exercise was to practice use of the Incident Command System— a systemic tool used for the command control and coordination of emergency response—and perform disaster triage and treatment skills. The event was a great opportunity for nursing students from three local nursing schools—including Chaminade—to work cohesively in an intense and stressful environment, an experience most of them had never encountered.

“This was the first triennial exercise that I participated in,” said Halili, who will graduate in December and take the National Council Licensure Examination to become a fully licensed Certified Nurse. “It was amazing to see how many people get involved when an emergency happens on an airport tarmac.”

Board Appointment

Dr. Rhoberta Haley Elected to AACN Board of Directors

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has announced that Rhoberta Haley, Ph.D., RN, FNP, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions at Chaminade University of Honolulu, has been elected to the AACN Board of Directors. She will serve as a Member-at-Large through March 25, 2024. AACN held a special election in August/September to fill an unexpired term on the Board with votes cast by member deans.  

“As the national voice for baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, AACN is committed to transforming health care and helping to lead the drive toward health equity,” said AACN Board Chair Cynthia McCurren, Ph.D, RN in a statement released in February after the organization’s announcement of the results of its 2023 election to fill seats on the AACN Board of Directors and Nominating Committee. “I look forward to collaborating with the new and returning members of the AACN Board and Nominating Committee to magnify the impact AACN has on ensuring quality in nursing education, research and practice.”  

AACN is governed by a 14-member Board of Directors, which includes four elected officers (Chair, Chair-Elect, Treasurer, and Secretary), seven at-large members representing schools of nursing, and two members representing practice. AACN’s President and Chief Executive Officer serves on the Board as an ex-officio member.  

Haley currently serves on the AACN Doctoral Conference Planning Committee, and previously served on the Finance Committee. She has participated in 13 CCNE evaluations for either initial accreditation or re-accreditation as a faculty member, director/dean or consultant. She has been dean at Chaminade University, School of Nursing and Health Professions since 2019.  

According to Haley, the benefits of serving as a Board of Director are many and include: a high level and significant role in advancing excellence in academic nursing; engagement in discussions about strategic goals and priorities, higher education and healthcare issues, and challenges facing the nursing profession.  

AACN is the national voice for university and four-year college education programs in nursing. Representing more than 560 member schools of nursing at public and private institutions nationwide, AACN’s educational, research, governmental advocacy, data collection, publications and other programs work to establish quality standards for bachelors and graduate degrees in nursing education. The governing body also assists deans and directors to implement those standards, influence the nursing profession to improve health care, and promote public support of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, research and practice. Task forces are appointed by the AACN Board of Directors as issues arise that require study and action.  

AACN’s work to inform members about key issues in higher education includes: offering conference sessions and webinars focused on trends in higher education, including a special panel presentation at the Academic Nursing Leadership Conference in October featuring thought leaders; and advocating for legislation that supports higher education and schools of nursing.