Today was our second day at Birmingham, and so far it was one of the most educational experiences I have had on this trip. The day started at 8:15 which was very early, but it ended up being full of learning opportunities that gave me a completely different perspective of nursing education and patient care in the United Kingdom. Throughout the day, I’ve noticed so many differences between the nursing programs in the United States and England, but I’ve also learned that despite those differences, the main goal to provide excellent patient care is still the same.
We started off our morning by taking a double decker bus to the main campus of Birmingham City University(of course we all went to the top). Sitting on the top level of the bus was a cool experience because we got to see so much of Birmingham while driving through the city. The architecture really stood out to me and even the university buildings were beautifully designed, with interiors that made the campus feel creative and welcoming rather than a plain and boring school.
When we arrived at the university we met Chinenye, who taught us more about nursing education in the UK and what life is like for nursing students. I found that the differences between the nursing schools in the US and the UK are extremely interesting. One of the biggest things that surprised me was that students choose their nursing speciality to study while they are in college. In the United States, we complete a general nursing program first and then specialize later after graduating. However, at BCU, students choose fields such as pediatric nursing, mental health nursing, or disability nursing much earlier.
Another thing that shocked me was the structure of their academic calendar. Students in England only attend schools for 3 years while students in the US attend school for 4 years. But, instead of having months off for summer break and a month off for winter and spring break, students in England have to attend school all-year-round and only get a week in between semesters. To me, this sounded really intense and demanding, however, I also realized that this schedule allows students to get their clinical experience more quickly and complete their education faster.
Another really interesting thing that I learned was that students in BCU begin clinical placement within their first year. In the United States, most students finish their prerequisite classes and introductory nursing classes prior to starting clinical experience. At BCU, students are exposed to healthcare environments much earlier. It also surprised me that anatomy was taken in their second year of their program, because in the US, anatomy is one of the first major science courses nursing students must complete before starting clinicals.
The last major difference we discussed was the NCLEX exam. In the United States, nursing students must pass the NCLEX exam after their 4 years of undergraduate nursing school in order to become a licensed nurse, and it is considered to be the hardest test for a nursing student. I was surprised to learn that nursing students in England do not have to take a NCLEX exam. Instead, their training and assessments throughout their program prepare them for their license.
Later in the day, we travelled to the South campus of BCU, which was another bus ride, and we ate lunch at their school cafeteria. I got a jacket potato with cheese and beans and a side salad. One thing I immediately noticed was how affordable the food was compared to the prices in the US. My meal was only 4 pounds which is only 5.45 US dollars!
To end off the day at BCU, we learned about wound and burn care from Chinenye. Chinenye taught us about the proper treatment for burns and shared real patient stories from her own experiences. Before today, I didn’t realize how many myths people believed about treating burns. Did you know people actually used toothpaste and butter to treat burns? One of the most important lessons we learned was that burns should immediately be placed under running water for 20 minutes, which helps stop the burning process from progressing into deeper skin and tissue. The patient stories I heard from Chinenye made the lecture feel more real rather than just theoretical. Listening to not only the physical but emotional challenges patients face showed me how important nurses are in times like these.
To end off our day, we will be attending a welcome dinner at an Indian restaurant and I’m super excited to try all the new foods for the rest of the week!