In accordance with the mission of the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, we aim to promote health and provide care in global communities through research, scholarship, and service. We seek to improve health equity through both service-learning experiences for students and promoting collaborative research for our faculty and scholars.

Current Student Opportunities

Global Health in Cape Town, South Africa
January 6-21, 2024

South Africa is often called “The Rainbow Nation,” known for its multiculturalism and multilingualism. The diversity of today emerges from the brutal history of Apartheid, a formalized system of racial segregation. Since Apartheid’s fall in 1994, South Africa has improved infrastructure, education, economic opportunity, and healthcare services for underserved South Africans. The majority Black population had extremely limited healthcare access until the 1990s, while today, South Africa’s healthcare system provides free or low-cost care to most of its population, including novel approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention and care.

During this program, participants learn firsthand about the pressing health challenges, determinants of health, and novel approaches implemented to meet the health needs of Cape Town’s population. Also, they will become immersed in South African culture while living with a homestay family. Clinical hours may be available for Adult Nurse Practitioner Students.

Students at all levels may apply; however, you must be at least 19 years old, a current student, and in good academic standing to participate in study abroad programs and be eligible for financial aid. Students interested in applying should:

• Apply through HBSON to attend this program:
  South Africa Clinical Experience for Nursing Students
• Email Dr. Sun at carolyn.sun@hunter.cuny.edu

Other Programs of Interest

College of Staten Island - Medical Internship in Morocco
Multiple sessions in Summer 2023 and Winter 2024

Hunter College Education Abroad (including summer session and winter intersession offerings)

• Students eligible for study abroad may apply to other CUNY programs, affiliated programs, and external programs through the Education Abroad office. See their website for details.

Are you interested in applying for a study abroad program?

• Attend a 'Study Abroad 101' webinar, or watch a recording of a previous session
• Schedule an advising appointment after attending a 'Study Abroad 101' webinar
• Review eligibility requirements for study abroad
• Apply to study abroad through the Education Abroad office

Past Global Health Nursing Offerings

Spring 2023: San Jose de Ocoa, Dominican Republic: Thanks to a generous gift from the Bloch Family, 12 nursing students, from both undergraduate and graduate programs traveled to the Dominican Republic in June 2023 to learn about the Health Care system in the Dominican Republic. We are so grateful to the Bloch Family for helping to make this opportunity available!

Winter 2017: Riobamba, Ecuador: Students taking Global Health Nursing during the Winter 2017 intersession traveled to Riobamba, Ecuador with MEDLIFE (Medicine, Education and Development to Low Income Families Everywhere), an organization that pairs student volunteers with local agencies to improve environmental safety and health. -View trip recap and photos

Winter 2015: La Romana, Dominican Republic: Six undergraduate students spent 3 weeks in January 2015 working at the Clínica de Familia La Romana, a primary care and HIV/AIDS clinic in La Romana, Dominican Republic. -View trip recap and photos

Global Research

Global nursing research helps to expand and improve healthcare and healthcare outcomes around the world. Many of the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing faculty conduct global health research and have received grants for global research. Here are some examples with more to come:

Dr. Elsie Jolade will travel to Nigeria this summer to implement a project funded by the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program. The project's purpose is to develop and pilot a clinical instructor/preceptor professional development curriculum (Maternal-Child Health; Advanced Physical Assessment; Pharmacology; Chronic Disease Management; and Research Development/Application in Practice).

Dr. El Samuels is investigating the ability of a "push-in" education program (i.e., an education program added to students' normal curricula) to improve the development of kindness and empathy among lower elementary school students in Asia, specifically South (Pakistan) and East Asia (China). These are regions where psychosocial development remains greatly under-investigated and there is still much to learn about the roles of culture, geography, etc. on development.

Dr. Carolyn Sun recently published Effectiveness of Complementary Therapies in the Management of Wounds Among Adult Patients with coauthors from University of Malawi Kamuzu College of Nursing as part of the Writing To Improve Nursing Science program she developed and implemented in Southern and Eastern African countries and replicated with faculty from University of Malawi. Her program is currently being replicated with the University of the West Indies by Dr. Maureen George at Columbia University. Dr. Sun is working to build a Global Health Nursing program for both students and faculty at Hunter Bellevue School of Nursing, including the above programs for students to South Africa and the Dominican Republic.

Please check back soon! We are in the process of creating additional programs that will be posted here as they are finalized.

For inquiries about Global Health Nursing, please contact Dr. Carolyn Sun at carolyn.sun@hunter.cuny.edu.