Carroll College is expanding opportunities at the intersection of language and healthcare through a new course, SP 322: Communicating Compassion: Spanish Translation and Interpretation for Health Professions. Taught by Dr. Hallows, the course reflects a close collaboration with the nursing program and a shared commitment to preparing students to become both culturally competent and linguistically proficient healthcare professionals.
As part of the course, students develop and record simulated patient interactions requiring medical interpretation. Using the campus podcasting studio, they create scenarios that are uploaded to EHR-Go, a platform used in nursing education to prepare students for clinical practice. Early simulations include patients navigating complex realities, such as managing chronic illness or experiencing human trafficking and forced labor, offering students meaningful opportunities to engage with challenging, real-world situations.
Students also participate in joint simulation sessions with Assistant Professor Janet Johnson’s nursing course in the simulation lab in Simperman Hall. In these sessions, Spanish students serve as interpreters while nursing students assess patient needs and provide care. One simulation follows Juan, a patient diagnosed with lung cancer after years working in a vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana, allowing students to collaborate in real time while developing both technical skills and cultural awareness.
This partnership has led to the creation of the Juan Diego Nursing Program, an interdisciplinary pathway that enables students to earn degrees in both Nursing and Hispanic Studies within four years. The program reflects Carroll’s broader mission to prepare students not only for professional success, but for lives of service and meaningful engagement.
Read more in the Spring 2026 Hispanic Studies and Languages Newsletter.
