The two Cuban nurses planning to visit Nicholls this semester were delayed due to travel complications.

Nursing faculty members from the University of Havana were scheduled to visit Nicholls on March 21 and 22. The nurses missed their connecting flight in Miami due to a four-hour delay in Havana. Security was high that weekend due to President Obama’s visit to Cuba.

Sue Westbrook, dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health, explained the flight complications.

“When they missed their reserved flight out of Miami, they had to fly standby and the spring break occurring throughout the US made it impossible for them to fly standby out of Miami to New Orleans and be here for the Monday. They had to return to Havana,” said Westbrook.

The purpose of their visit was for Nicholls faculty and students to increase their awareness of another culture and of their health delivery system. One of Nicholls priorities is internationalization.

The two nurses planned to observe nursing classes, visit the Lafourche Parish Public Health Unit Clinic, exchange ideas with Nicholls nursing faculty to discuss possibilities for future faculty exchanges and give a presentation for the public on the Cuban health care system.

The trip will be rescheduled at a later date. The University will try to bring the nurses back during the upcoming fall semester.