Top-ranked University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Nursing integrates Care to Translate into its curriculum.
2025-03-07
Press release
Care to Translate is proud to announce that The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)’s School of Nursing has become a new customer, integrating the medical translation app into their curriculum. Ranked 4th in the nation, UNC’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program prepares students to deliver culturally responsive and equitable healthcare.
Nursing students will use the Care to Translate app in hospitals, clinics, and community settings, including serving underserved populations in rural areas who face language barriers and have low health literacy.
At UNC’s School of Nursing, cultural and linguistic awareness in communication is a core part of the curriculum. The integration of Care to Translate will provide nursing students with a valuable tool to bridge communication gaps in real-world healthcare settings. As part of their training, students will work with simulated families from rural communities, using the app to practice how to communicate effectively with patients from diverse backgrounds, particularly those with low health literacy and language barriers. These simulations are designed to teach students how to navigate communication challenges and provide equitable care.
The adoption of Care to Translate has been made possible through funding from the HRSA Closing the Gaps Grant Program, awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This initiative aims to strengthen nursing education by creating a simulation-based curriculum, enhancing clinical partnerships, and recruiting diverse nursing students and faculty. The program focuses on improving cultural responsiveness in nursing through innovative simulations, ultimately enhancing healthcare for underserved and rural communities in North Carolina.
Dr. Susana Barroso, Assistant Professor at UNC’s School of Nursing, highlighted the importance of language accessibility in nursing education: “Effective communication is essential to providing quality care, especially when working with patients who speak different languages."
"Care to Translate offers a simple and effective way for our students to communicate with patients, ensuring that language barriers don’t stand in the way of delivering appropriate care.”
One feature of Care to Translate that UNC highlighted is its language learning capabilities. With a large Spanish-speaking population in the area, many nursing students at UNC have basic Spanish skills but require a deeper understanding of medical terminology. Dr. Susana Barroso noted, “The app is very helpful in allowing students to learn medical language. It’s very easy to learn to say the phrases as well, thanks to the audio recordings that accompany the text translations.”
The app not only helps students practice cultural and linguistic-aware communication but also supports language learning in the medical context.
Maja Magnusson, CEO of Care to Translate, expressed her excitement about the collaboration: “We are delighted to welcome The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Nursing as a customer. By integrating Care to Translate into their curriculum, we aim to help students overcome language barriers and enhance their ability to provide inclusive, patient-centered care.
"It’s particularly inspiring to see how the app will be used for both communication and language learning purposes, making healthcare more accessible for all.”
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the United States, currently holding 5th spot among public universities. Its School of Nursing is a national leader in nursing education, with its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program ranked 4th and its Master’s Nursing program ranked 8th in the country.
Dedicated to advancing nursing science and preparing future healthcare leaders, the School of Nursing offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs. Through innovative education, research, and practice, UNC aims to produce culturally aware and competent healthcare professionals capable of providing quality care to diverse populations.
