From Tucson to Guaymas: Nursing faculty share innovation and build partnerships
Second from left: Lisa Kiser, Janine Hinton, Kate Straub, Chelsey Young.
Faculty from the College of Nursing recently traveled to Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico, to attend the Fifth International Nursing Conference, hosted by the Inter-American Institute for Higher Education in Health (IIESS). The conference brought together 325 nursing educators, healthcare professionals, students, and health leaders from across Mexico to share knowledge, strengthen cross-border partnerships, and explore approaches to advancing nursing education.
“The College of Nursing is strongly committed to building partnerships in Mexico and advancing health initiatives across the Arizona–Sonora border region,” said Sheila Gephart, PhD, RN, FAAN, interim associate dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs. “This trip advanced those objectives, and we look forward to creating new opportunities for learning, research, and service with our partners in Mexico.”
Gephart said the university values opportunities to collaborate with international partners and to broaden students' educational experiences. Through partnerships such as the one with IIESS, faculty advance teaching practices and build lasting relationships that create avenues for future educational, research, and service initiatives.
Representing the college at the conference were Janine E. Hinton, PhD, MN, RN, CNE, CHSE, director of the Steele Innovative Learning Center; Chelsey Young, MSN, RN, simulation nurse faculty; Kate Straub, MPH, RM, BSN, RN, NCSN, lecturer; and Lisa Kiser, DNP, CNM, WHNP, clinical associate professor, who represented the School of Health Professions within the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. The nursing delegation was invited to share expertise in simulation and technology-enhanced learning, including artificial intelligence, virtual and mixed reality, biosensors, and immersive simulation, which are helping transform clinical training and workforce preparation.
During the conference, Hinton, Kiser, and Young delivered a joint presentation titled Use of Simulation in Nursing Education at the University of Arizona. The presentation highlighted how simulation-based education strengthens clinical reasoning, communication, empathy, and patient safety. Faculty members shared examples from the University of Arizona’s Virtual Outpatient Clinic, AI-powered virtual patients, immersive extended-reality experiences, and ongoing research on how simulation can enhance medication administration training and compassionate care. “Together, these approaches demonstrate that technology-enhanced simulation helps students build the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed for high-quality patient care,” Kiser said.
“It was an honor to collaborate with our colleagues in Guaymas and to share how simulation helps students develop safe medication administration practices before entering clinical settings,” Young said. “Through realistic, hands-on experiences, students can build confidence, strengthen clinical judgment, and reduce the risk of medication errors, ultimately improving patient safety.”
Beyond the formal presentation, faculty participated in activities that expanded professional connections and offered insight into healthcare delivery and academic preparation in the region. They toured the IIESS campus and Hospital San Jose in Guaymas, met with IIESS faculty and students to discuss public health nursing, and served as reviewers for student research projects presented at the conference.
Hinton said, “The experience broadened my understanding of the important contributions nurse educators and students make to improving global and public health. I was inspired by the generosity, enthusiasm, and commitment of our colleagues and students in Mexico as they develop, implement, and study innovative approaches to health promotion and nursing education.”
For Straub, one of the most important aspects of the experience was the shared commitment among nursing educators and students in both countries to connect learning to real-world impact. “Visiting our counterparts at the nursing school in Guaymas was especially meaningful,” Straub said. “Like our faculty, they are committed to providing students with high-impact community experiences that link classroom learning to real-world impact.”
She also highlighted the students’ enthusiasm and the potential for future exchanges.
“IIESS students were so passionate, proud, and positive about their work,” said Straub. “I would love to take our nursing students to meet their counterparts across the Mexican border to see firsthand how their peers are working to make the world a better, kinder place by improving the health and well-being of the communities they serve.”
The conference strengthened ties between the University of Arizona and IIESS and created new opportunities for collaboration across education, research, and student engagement. Faculty returned with fresh perspectives, new professional connections, and a renewed commitment to preparing nurses to improve health outcomes in communities on both sides of the border.