Chaminade University of Honolulu

School of Nursing and Health Professions

Doctor of Nursing Practice

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Advance Your Nursing Career

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at Chaminade University of Honolulu is designed for the registered nurse or advanced practice nurse who aims to provide evidence-based care to culturally diverse populations while also developing a leadership role as an advocate for health and social justice.

Chaminade’s DNP program uses an innovative, technology-enriched educational approach to support the development of exceptional nurse leaders and advanced practice clinical nursing experts. The curriculum prepares graduates to address profound healthcare needs of society, focusing in particular on the needs of the most vulnerable among us at a time when nurse leaders are urgently needed and will continue to be in high demand.

Our DNP program allows for flexibility. Courses are taught online in 15-week terms. Students will attend yearly multi-day immersions. Immersions for each track will enhance leadership capacity, build strategic relationships, and provide clinical and experiential learning for practice innovation.

We offer four DNP program options:

  • BSN-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
  • BSN-DNP Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care (PNP)
  • BSN-DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
  • Post-Master’s Executive Leader (EL)

Chaminade’s DNP program integrates the Marianist Educational Values: formation in faith; quality education; family spirit; service, justice, and peace; and adaptation and change. Each of these five core values is incorporated throughout the program to help graduates develop not only as scholars but also as individuals who are ready to lead holistically. Students should have a strong desire to learn about and care for select populations, with a special emphasis on Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, and be committed to social justice. Alumni of this program will continue to develop their nursing careers as leaders and advanced clinicians.

As students progress through the program, they will have the opportunity to grow and develop in a supportive environment that features skilled advisors, knowledgeable professors, and fellow students with diverse backgrounds and varied professional paths.

100% online with yearly multi-day immersion experiences
Experienced Faculty
Scholarly project

Terms & Deadlines


Spring Term Begins: January 12, 2026*
Application Deadline: December 1, 2025

*Mandatory Spring Immersion
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 AND
Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Fall Term Begins: August 24, 2026
Priority Application Deadline: March 1, 2026
Application Deadline: June 1, 2026

Let Us Tell You More

Request Information
Online Information Session In-Person Open House Start Your Application

GRADUATE ADMISSIONS
[email protected]
(808) 739-8524

VICE DEAN
Pamela Smith, EdD, APRN-Rx, FNP-BC
[email protected]
(808) 735-4862

DNP Program Tracks

BSN-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

The FNP track prepares you to become an advanced practice nurse—providing comprehensive care to patients and families across the lifespan. FNPs practice in primary care settings and manage both acute and chronic conditions with a focus on disease prevention, health promotion, diagnosis, treatment, and management of care. Our graduates are prepared to work with patients and healthcare organizations to achieve optimal patient outcomes.

BSN-DNP Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care (PNP)

The PNP track prepares you to serve as an advanced practice registered nurse—providing comprehensive care to patients from birth through adolescence. This track emphasizes a patient-and family-centered perspective, as well as a culturally-informed practice to ensure you are prepared to provide evidence-based care to pediatric and adolescent patients in a variety of settings. Course work includes a focus on well-child care, growth and development, health promotion and disease prevention, and the management of common acute and chronic conditions in the primary care setting.

BSN-DNP Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

The PMHNP track prepares you to become an advanced practice nurse—providing psychiatric/mental health care to children, adults, and elders. PMHNPs assess, diagnose, and treat patients with mental health conditions such anxiety, depression, psychosis, bipolar manifestations, mood swings, as well as mental health maintenance. Our PMHNP graduates provide holistic care for patients and communities.

Executive Leader (EL)

The Executive Leader track prepares you with the necessary tools to implement quality improvement projects in clinics, in hospitals, and across large healthcare systems. Our Executive Leader graduates have a deep understanding of health policy,  interprofessional relationships to improve patient and population health outcomes, and the ability to advocate for social justice and access to health care.

  1. Integrate nursing science with knowledge from biophysical, psychosocial, analytical, ethics, and organizational sciences as the basis for advanced practice nursing using new approaches to care delivery.
  2. Create and lead high quality and safe nursing care in a complex global health care environment.
  3. Create and disseminate knowledge in evidence-informed practice.
  4. Evaluate emerging technologies for their ability to improve health care outcomes.
  5. Evaluate health policy and advocate for social justice and access to health care, especially for Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders and other unique populations.
  6. Create collaborative interprofessional relationships to improve patient and population health outcomes with an emphasis on select populations including Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders.
  7. Evaluate the social, cultural, and environmental dimensions of population health in practice patterns/systems.
  8. Independently assess, diagnose, treat, and manage culturally diverse populations.
  • NUR 800: Transitions in Practice: The Advanced Practice Nurse as DNP
  • NUR 802: Advanced Health Assessment across the Lifespan and Culture
  • NUR 804: Advanced Pathophysiology across the Lifespan
  • NUR 806: Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics across the Lifespan
  • NUR 810: Leading Quality Innovation in Advanced Practice Nursing
  • NUR 812: Transforming Healthcare through Innovation and Technology
  • NUR 816: Epidemiology for Advanced Practice Nursing
  • NUR 818: Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Population Health
  • NUR 820: Transforming Healthcare through Outcomes Management
  • NUR 822: Transforming Healthcare through Health Policy and Advocacy
  • NUR 824: Theoretical Foundations of Evidence-Based and Advanced Practice Nursing
  • NUR 840: Management of Common Problems in Family/Across the Lifespan
  • NUR 841: Practicum in Common Problems in Family/Across the Lifespan
  • NUR 842: Management of Acute Problems in Family/Across the Lifespan
  • NUR 843: Practicum in Acute Problems in Family/Across the Lifespan
  • NUR 844: Management of Complex and Chronic Problems in Family/Across the Lifespan
  • NUR 845: Practicum in Complex and Chronic Problems in Family/Across the Lifespan
  • NUR 850: The Steps to Practice Inquiry:  Analyze, Evaluate, Synthesize and Apply the Evidence
  • NUR 852: DNP Scholarly Project I:  Design and Ethical Consideration of Practice Application
  • NUR 854: DNP Scholarly Project II:  Applying Practice Knowledge: Implementation/Outcomes
  • NUR 856: DNP Scholarly Project III:  Dissemination
  • NUR 800: Transitions in Practice: The Advanced Practice Nurse as DNP
  • NUR 802: Advanced Health Assessment across the Lifespan and Culture
  • NUR 804: Advanced Pathophysiology across the Lifespan
  • NUR 806: Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics across the Lifespan
  • NUR 810: Leading Quality Innovation in Advanced Practice Nursing
  • NUR 812: Transforming Healthcare through Innovation and Technology
  • NUR 816: Epidemiology for Advanced Practice Nursing
  • NUR 818: Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Population Health
  • NUR 820: Transforming Healthcare through Outcomes Management
  • NUR 822: Transforming Healthcare through Health Policy and Advocacy
  • NUR 824: Theoretical Foundations of Evidence-Based and Advanced Practice Nursing
  • NUR 870: Health Promotion and Primary Care of Pediatric/Adolescent Patients
  • NUR 871: Practicum in Pediatric/Adolescent Patients I
  • NUR 872: Management of Pediatric/Adolescent Care
  • NUR 873: Practicum in Pediatric/Adolescent Patients II
  • NUR 874: Management of Acute and Chronic Conditions of Pediatric/Adolescent
  • Patients
  • NUR 875: Practicum in Pediatric/Adolescent Patients III
  • NUR 850: The Steps to Practice Inquiry:  Analyze, Evaluate, Synthesize and Apply the Evidence
  • NUR 852: DNP Scholarly Project I:  Design and Ethical Consideration of Practice Application
  • NUR 854: DNP Scholarly Project II:  Applying Practice Knowledge: Implementation/Outcomes
  • NUR 856: DNP Scholarly Project III:  Dissemination
  • NUR 800: Transitions in Practice: The Advanced Practice Nurse as DNP
  • NUR 802: Advanced Health Assessment across the Lifespan and Culture
  • NUR 804: Advanced Pathophysiology across the Lifespan
  • NUR 806: Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics across the Lifespan
  • NUR 810: Leading Quality Innovation in Advanced Practice Nursing
  • NUR 812: Transforming Healthcare through Innovation and Technology
  • NUR 816: Epidemiology for Advanced Practice Nursing
  • NUR 818: Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Population Health
  • NUR 820: Transforming Healthcare through Outcomes Management
  • NUR 822: Transforming Healthcare through Health Policy and Advocacy
  • NUR 824: Theoretical Foundations of Evidence-Based and Advanced Practice Nursing
  • NUR 830: Psychopharmacology across the Lifespan
  • NUR 831: Advanced Concepts in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
  • NUR 832: Management in Lifespan Psychiatric and Mental Healthcare
  • NUR 833: Practicum in Psychotherapeutic Treatment Modalities
  • NUR 836: Complex and Chronic Problems in Psychiatric and Mental Healthcare
  • NUR 837: Practicum for Complex and Chronic Problems in Psychiatric and Mental Healthcare
  • NUR 850: The Steps to Practice Inquiry:  Analyze, Evaluate, Synthesize and Apply the Evidence
  • NUR 852: DNP Scholarly Project I:  Design and Ethical Consideration of Practice Application
  • NUR 854: DNP Scholarly Project II:  Applying Practice Knowledge: Implementation/Outcomes
  • NUR 856: DNP Scholarly Project III:  Dissemination
  • NUR 810: Leading Quality Innovation in Advanced Practice Nursing
  • NUR 812: Transforming Healthcare through Innovation and Technology
  • NUR 816: Epidemiology for Advanced Practice Nursing
  • NUR 818: Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Population Health
  • NUR 820: Transforming Healthcare through Outcomes Management
  • NUR 822: Transforming Healthcare through Health Policy and Advocacy
  • NUR 824: Theoretical Foundations of Evidence-Based and Advanced Practice Nursing
  • NUR 850: The Steps to Practice Inquiry:  Analyze, Evaluate, Synthesize and Apply the Evidence
  • NUR 852: DNP Scholarly Project I:  Design and Ethical Consideration of Practice Application
  • NUR 854: DNP Scholarly Project II:  Applying Practice Knowledge: Implementation/Outcomes
  • NUR 856: DNP Scholarly Project III:  Dissemination
DNP-FNP, DNP-PNP and DNP-PMHNP
  • Earned BSN from an accredited ACEN or CCNE School of Nursing
  • RN licensed is required by end of the first DNP term
  • Professional Resume/CV
  • College Transcripts
  • Two letters of professional recommendation
  • Personal Statement: Why do you want to pursue your DNP?
  • Interview via web/zoom or in-person
  • The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required
  • GPA minimum is not required
DNP Post-Master’s Executive Leader Track
  • Earned BSN from an accredited ACEN or CCNE School of Nursing
  • MSN required
  • RN licensed is required by end of the first DNP term
  • Professional Resume/CV
  • College Transcripts
  • Two letters of professional recommendation
  • Personal Statement: Why do you want to pursue your DNP?
  • Interview via web/zoom or in-person
  • The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required
  • GPA minimum is not required

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Chaminade University of Honolulu is accredited by the
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

Please visit our Graduate Cost of Attendance webpage for tuition rates and fees.