For the last 20 years, the College of Nursing and Health Innovation has taken health professionals to Cuernavaca, Mexico, to study at Universidad Internacional. Participants study Spanish and Mexican culture while also living with a Mexican family.

Guided field trips to health care facilities and local cultural sites provide a firsthand view of day-to-day life in Cuernavaca, known as “the City of Eternal Spring” because temperatures stay around 70 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Special conferences provide information on the Mexican health care system, traditional medicine, and beliefs about health and illness.

The continuing education program is organized through the College’s Center for Hispanic Studies in Nursing and Health. Mary Lou Bond, professor emeritus and a senior advisor, says it was developed after students who participated in a similar program she led in Cuernavaca suggested it could also benefit working professionals.

This year’s program was held January 1-8 and led by Wendy Barr, adjunct clinical associate professor of nursing. It provides up to 30 contact hours offered through the Texas Nurses Association, an accredited provider of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Participants included students, faculty, alumni, and fellow health care professionals.

“I am eternally enchanted with Mexico, and that definitely made this a very attractive option for me,” says Adele DiMinno, associate professor of nursing at Northern Kentucky University. “I thought the fast-paced and professionally taught courses in Spanish were top-notch, and I only wish I could have stayed longer.”

Angie Millan, director of Children’s Medical Services for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, brought along her teenage daughter, Justine, who had two years of high school Spanish.

“The university tailors its courses to the individual and has excellent instructors who have lots of experience and enjoy what they do,” says Millan, a past president of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses. “I would recommend this school to others, no matter what level you feel you are with writing, reading, or speaking Español.”

Visit uta.edu/conhi/research/chsnh/ to learn more about the vision and mission of UTA’s Center for Hispanic Studies in Nursing and Health.