Today started off a little rough, but it was a nice rainy day. Everyone was supposed to meet for the taxi at 7:15am. Lorelei and I woke up at 7:15am because we accidentally turned the alarm off, oopsies. Luckily we got ready fast and made it to the taxi before it left at 7:25.
We started off that day at a nursing home called Neville Williams House. They have 50 residents, most with dementia. NHS funds a portion of placements complex funding. Some people with chronic illnesses are fully covered by the NHS, but get evaluated and sometimes get that money taken away. The nursing home is a charity, so all their money goes back into the home. One of their problems is they have trouble filling beds because of so many people going to private nursing homes.
In the nursing home they emphasize safeguarding as with many other NHS services. The home is regularly assessed by the government to make sure their home is working well. I really enjoyed how they have lots of interactive and sensory items to make the patients feel like they are not in a nursing home. They had a train simulation, bus stop, fish tank, dance party simulation, beach simulation, pub, and more. I think this is really cool to make the patients feel as if they are separated from life and experiences.
We also talked to a BCU nurse that was in placement at the nursing home. It was nice to hear how she really enjoys the home, the staff, and everyone is so kind and welcoming. She was also very interested in our nursing in education as long with many other students we have spoken to because they are so different. It was interesting to learn from her that she actually wanted to be a pediatric nurse, but she was only accepted into the adult nursing program. Luckily she loves working with adults now. I think our nursing education system is better because we get to try everything in clinical and we can switch specialities whenever we like once we graduate. Unlike the UK’s system where your speciality is pretty much your final choice, unless you go back to school.
We then sat down with the dementia patients and asked them questions, played games with them, and just chit chatted. It was such a sweet experience. I met an art teacher and an A level teacher. They told us about their jobs and their lives. They were all so excited to talk to us except the one male resident said he thought was too busy in here. But he did tell me I was pretty so I think he didn’t mind the company. All the people at this home really enjoy it which I find to be pretty amazing. The staff was really great and they all loved their jobs. From my experience in nursing homes I have never seen the staff so engaging with the residents and I have never heard of them having all the extra resources for them.
Next we headed back to BCU and had a few lectures. First was a lecture about what endometriosis tells us about gendered health and inequalities. Professor Annalise Wecksser gave us a lecture and she is a medical feminist anthropologist, which is so cool. 1 in 10 women in the UK have endometriosis. Affects 6-10% of cisgender women. In the 1920s endometriosis was finally seen as a distinct disease, although there were many sexist terms to indemnify this disease. It was actually thought that endometriosis only happens to women who do not have children and to help improve the condition women should get pregnant, but these are myths.
I learned so much about endometriosis that I never knew before. It is sometimes defined as a gynecological disease where the endometrial-like tissue grows on the outside of the uterus due to retrograde menstruation. But “the full effect of the disease is not fully recognized and goes far beyond the pelvis” so it should be identified as an inflammatory disease. Some symptoms include heavy/ painful periods, infertility, pain after sex, pelvic pain, and much more. There have been no cure or treatment breakthroughs for the past three decades. Unfortunately it takes a great amount of time to diagnose endometriosis and in the UK you have to go to the GP many times and then get a referral to a gynecologist. In the USA people with endometriosis go into a massive amount of debt trying to find a relief for this excruciating pain.
Annalise has conducted research in the UK trying to improve this problem. She has gone around trying to speak to doctors and gynecologists identifying this problem, with diagnosing and finding a treatment. She learned from this that a lot of the training doctors are getting is mistaken and therefore they are identifying the disease correctly. Medical misogyny and gaslighting is prevalent, in this disorder especially, so women are seen as too emotional or complain too much. Therefore they are denied treatment. As well as racialized inequalities, where black women are less likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis, get poorer treatments, ect. Women are giving all these details to gynecologists to say “believe me.” We can improve the patients’ experience of not being believed in training the doctors, but also we really need more research on this disease. There is more research being done in the USA than the UK on these issues, but we still need so much more in both.
Next Annalise spoke about inclusive period dignity at BCU. BCU recently has free menstrual products for women, unlike Pitt. They are really working hard to get people to recognize products as essential and stop the stigma. This is something that is greatly needed in the USA and I hope I can be a part of the change towards recognizing period products as healthcare and an essential product.
WARNING: the next part is very sad and graphic, but also important to be educated on.
Finally we talked to Dr. Jama Egal (midwifery lecture) about FGM (female genital mutilation). I have never learned about this so it was a big shock and very informative presentation. FGM is very normal to see in the UK because of the diversity and multicultural of this country. She defined FGM as female genitalia mutilation or cutting of partial or total removal of the external female genitalia. 200 million girls/women worldwide go through FGM. Performed mainly in African countries, Middle East, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, some Muslim communities, and more. There are 4 different types including removing clitoris (I), removing both clitoris and labias (II), narrowing vagina (as well as stitching vagina)(III), or all other harmful procedures like piercings (IV). When women do not have care available , it is horrific to birth a child especially when a type III procedure has been done. FGM is a humans right issue. It is justified through tradition, religion, hygiene, chastity, increasing male pleasure, enhancing fertility, etc.
We learned that FGM is performed by circumsizers and use a small blade tool done usually at 8 years old. It is normal to get it done in a group of girls and so they cannot warn each other about the pain. They make it a huge ceremony with presents and praise to make the women not realize the horrible thing happening to them. Women feel a guilt for this to happen to them, but it is also so normalized in their culture they really do not have a choice. Short term complications can include death, urine retention, HIV, tetanus, neurogenic shock, etc. Long term complications include infertility, clitoral pain, sexual dysfunction, psychological trauma, etc. It can be very difficult to diagnose and the most important diagnosis is asking the patient.
A procedure for women with FGM can include deinfibulation during or after birth, which is an opening procedure for women with Type II. This possibly will relieve pain, but will not bring back the lost tissue. Or also antenatal deinfibulation is done before birth and is more relaxed because it is not an emergency procedure. Can give more time to heal. In other countries where FGM is common reinfibulation is common to suture the women back, but this is illegal in UK. Some countries have clitorial and labial reconstruction to return some of the genitalia. She told us many different ways to ask about FGM, what the appointments intails, and mandatory reporting is necessary.
Both these lectures were extremely interesting to learn about. I am very glad there has been more recognition towards these things happening to women whether it be FGM, endometriosis, or even just restoration, but we are just starting the process to truly improve women’s care. I am very interested in going into women’s health and gynecology, so I am definitely going to using all this new information, and bring my knowledge to the USA to help improve our healthcare for women and gender equity in healthcare.
It is our last night in Birmingham, so after BCU we all went to dinner near the canal and enjoyed the final night in the city. We check out tomorrow morning and have a few activities in Birmingham, then we are headed to London! I cannot wait!!
Did not even brush our hair lol
Bulletin board in nursing home on safeguarding and infection control
Lovely Canal