La Salle University nursing students gained hands-on clinical learning through immersive travel experiences in Rome and Mexico City in spring 2025.

La Salle University nursing students stepped beyond the classroom and into international healthcare environments through immersive clinical experiences in Rome, Italy, and Mexico City, Mexico, during spring 2025. These programs offered a unique opportunity to apply academic knowledge in diverse clinical settings, deepen their understanding of global health systems, and engage with new cultures while fulfilling course requirements. 

A total of 16 nursing students participated in the two programs. Those who traveled to Rome included: Carissa Gabriel, ’26, Janae Gomez, ’26, Molly Dougherty, ’26, Martha Lake, ’26, Keira Latch, ’26, Ethan Leibiger, ’26, Trang Nguyen, ’26, and Wanneh Togba, ’26. Undergraduate students who went to Mexico include Khadijah Dunmeyer, ‘25, Ashlie M. Baker, ’25, Nequia El, ‘25, Siddiyqa Brown, ‘25, Virginia Kush, ‘25, Lilliam Hawkins, ‘25, and Kristen Costelow, ‘25. 

In Rome, students rotated through hospital-based clinical placements in maternity and pediatrics. At facilities such as Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic, they had the opportunity to observe and assist with procedures including C-sections, labor simulations, and pediatric assessments. While language differences were present, the core nursing practices and patient care routines closely mirrored those in the United States. Nguyen, who completed her maternity rotation in Rome, noted the value in witnessing both similarities and subtle cultural differences. 

Togba recalled the impact of working in the same hospital where the Pope received care, describing the experience as unforgettable. Leibiger, who focused on pediatrics, found that beyond clinical insight, the trip fostered unexpected friendships and camaraderie among classmates. 

Meanwhile, in Mexico City, students in the public health track engaged in community-based nursing focused on health promotion and disease prevention. Under the guidance of Associate Professor Jeannine Uribe, Ph.D., R.N., and in partnership with De La Salle University in Mexico, students conducted health screenings, visited clinics and hospitals, and explored disaster response systems. In many cases, students used their own equipment due to supply limitations at local facilities, gaining a deeper appreciation for resourcefulness in care delivery in the United States. 

“The people were so welcoming and proud of their community,” said Baker. “It completely changed how I saw Mexico City. I felt so connected to the families we met.” 

During their community wellness assessments, students were encouraged to look closely at the everyday environment. “We were asked to pay attention to everything—from how families interacted at parks to what kind of food was being sold on the streets,” Baker said. “It made me think about public health in a way I never had before.” 

Throughout their stay, students combined clinical practice with cultural exploration. From historic landmarks to informal exchanges with Mexican and Italian healthcare students, the trips encouraged a holistic view of nursing across cultures. Uribe emphasized that even during sightseeing, students were actively learning—applying their classroom knowledge to real-world public health conditions and participating in structured reflection activities. As part of their outreach, the group in Mexico also visited Casa Xochiquetzal, a community home for retired sex workers (a legal profession in Mexico), offering basic health screenings and nursing education as part of their public health training. 

Though the two destinations differed in clinical focus and healthcare delivery models, students in both groups emerged with a strengthened sense of cultural competence and a clearer understanding of their role in a global nursing landscape. Whether in a hospital ward in Rome or a community clinic in Mexico City, students found that the essence of nursing—empathy, connection, and adaptability—transcends borders. 

“Nursing really is universal,” Nguyen said. “The compassion, the care—it’s all the same.” 

Baker echoed this sentiment, emphasizing how the experience expanded her view of nursing to include not only direct care, but also community wellness and health equity. 

The global clinical trips offered La Salle nursing students not only academic growth, but personal transformation. As Togba put it, “If you ever get the chance to go, do it. It was one of the best experiences of my life.” 

– Rafiga Imanova, MBA ’25