Day six was the best day of the trip so far for a multitude of reasons! To begin the day, I woke up at 7:30AM for a quick breakfast of cereal and coffee at the hotel, before we met as a group in the lobby to walk over to Birmingham City University. We met with Chinenye, and she taught a lecture on female genital mutilation for our morning.
Female genital mutilation began as a ritual in ancient Egypt as a sign of aristocratic distinction, before transferring to a procedure used to hold absolute control over the sexual behavior of women. The definition of female genital mutilation is, “the partial or total removal of external genitalia or other injury to genital organs for non-medical reasons” and there are four types. Type one is the partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or prepuce, type two is the partial or total removal of the clitoris and labia minora with or without excision of the labia majora, type three narrows the vaginal orifice with the creation of a covering seal by cutting and appositioning the labia minora/majora with or without excision of the clitoris, and type four is any other injury to the genitalia (i.e. piercing, scraping, burning, stretching, and pricking). While there are immediate complications of female genital mutilation (severe pain, excessive bleeding, infections, etc.), there are also long-term complications that can include menstrual problems, higher risk of childbirth complications, and sexual problems. Female genital mutilation can also impact a woman’s mental and emotional health for the rest of their life, because even if it is not physically evident, the memories of the pain, being held down, etc. can last for a lifetime.
There are policies in both the United Kingdom and the United States in order to stop female genital mutilation from occuring. The UK has the FGM Act of 2003 which makes female genital mutilation illegal in the UK, and it is also illegale to take a UK citizen out of the country to get one performed. In the US, the policy varies by state with 41 states having specific female genital mutilation laws as of 2024. Overall, there is a big push for female genital mutilation to stop globally, and there is a big nursing role included in assessing patients that may have has this performed. As nurses, we must recognize signs, provide culturally sensitive and non-judgmental care, offer supports (i.e. therapy), and work with safeguarding teams in order to ensure our patients are safe and healthy.
After we had our lecture on female genital mutilation, we took a break for lunch. Some friends and I went to the Boston Tea Party to eat. I was able to purchase a strawberry banana smoothie, and scrambled eggs on toast which was very filling and delicious! Then, we met back at BCU to start our journey to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, which was the absolute best part of my day.
Once we got to the hospital, we first took a tour, and were given highlights on specific areas within the hospital. First, we walked through the chapel and spoke with one of the chapelains that worked there. He explained that their goal as a team is to walk with people and meet them where they are at no matter where that is. They offer guidance to a wide range of families that believe in different religions, and will even speak with those that do not believe in any religion at all. They also had two trees in the chapel that were an opportunity for family members to write notes and prayers for their sick or deceased loved ones. I thought this was so special, and gave families a safe place to go while grieving.
After the chapel, we went to a sadder area of the hospital which was the bereavement and palliative care wards. We stopped at Magnolia House, which offers a place for families to be with their child as they pass away. It is a peaceful area that mimics a house, and gives the family a chance to lay down and bring their own pillows and blankets from home to truly create a safe space to be with one another. It is something that is very unique and protected which is so thoughtful for families who are struggling with their reality.
After we viewed the two spaces, we were able to finish the day by walking through the PICU and speaking with various nurses that worked at the Children’s Hospital. The most interesting thing that I learned from this is that children from the PICU have one-on-one care with their nurses, which makes things more personal and makes it easier for the child’s health to be monitored. Overall, I had such an amazing time touring the hospital and I truly think it will be the best day of the trip for me!