This morning we started our day off at Birmingham City University where we learned about female genital mutilation (FGM). As crazy as this sounds, I had actually never heard of this before. It has never been mentioned in any conversation that I have ever had, so this was completely new to me. I learned that the practice dates back to ancient Egypt and was originally used as a way to control women. The purpose of it is to make women unable to experience pleasure during sexual activity or have an orgasm. There are four different types of procedures, and some are much more invasive than others. All of them involve some form of removal or injury to a woman’s genitalia. The people most at risk for this are young girls and women from cultures where these ritual practices are still carried out.

We heard heartbreaking stories about parents telling their children that they were going on vacation, only for them to return after having undergone FGM. These trips were referred to as “vacation cutting” trips. There were also stories about how the people performing these procedures would make it seem special or normal, convincing young girls that everyone goes through it, when in reality that is not true at all. Something that was really important to learn about were the health consequences associated with FGM. During the procedure, there can be severe bleeding, which may even lead to death from blood loss. There are also many long-term complications, including painful urination, painful menstruation, infections, and difficulty giving birth because of scar tissue buildup. In severe cases, this can even result in stillbirths. I also learned that if a healthcare worker recognizes that a patient has undergone FGM, it must be reported because the practice is illegal. Learning about this topic was honestly shocking and emotional, but I think it is important for nurses to understand because we may care for patients who have experienced it.

In the afternoon, we got to tour a children’s hospital. We learned more about the hospital itself and all of the resources they provide for patients and families. Something that I thought was amazing was that they have a hotel right next to the hospital where parents of children receiving care can stay for free. The stay is funded entirely through charity. They explained that it is supported by the Ronald McDonald House Charities, which is something we also have in the United States. Hearing about this immediately connected to my own life. When my cousin was very little, she was hospitalized for months. I cannot remember exactly what condition she had, but I remember my uncle telling me how difficult that period of life was for him. He was trying to continue working while also wanting to spend as much time as possible with his daughter. He told me that the Ronald McDonald program provided support for his family during that time, and he is still grateful for the resources they gave them. Hearing about the same kind of support being available here in the UK really stood out to me.

This hospital also had many other charity-funded resources throughout the campus. One of them was a place called Magnolia House, which provides a more home-like environment for children and families when a child has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Having a quieter and more comforting space allows families to cope better with the reality that they may lose their child. We also learned about the Rainbow Room, which is a private area where families can spend time together with their child near the end of life. Seeing all of these resources made me realize how much effort goes into supporting not only the patient, but also the emotional well-being of families during extremely difficult situations.

After that, we got to tour the PICU ward and hear from a student nurse about the unit. I found this especially interesting because in order to reach my career goal of becoming a CRNA, I will need at least two years of experience working in either a PICU or ICU setting. It was exciting to be able to see an environment that I could potentially work in one day. One thing that really stood out to me was their nurse-to-patient ratio being 1:1. I know that in many ICUs in the United States the ratio is not always 1:1, and I am not completely sure about most PICUs, so hearing that surprised me. I think having one nurse dedicated to one patient would definitely improve patient outcomes and allow for more attentive care.

Another thing that I found very interesting was the layout of the unit. Instead of private rooms, the PICU was made up of three very large open rooms with about eleven beds in each one. Personally, I do not think I would like that environment. If I were a parent with a child in the PICU, I would want privacy with my child and would not want them seeing other critically ill patients around them. I also thought about how difficult it would be if another patient in the room declined or passed away, because the other families would witness it and possibly become even more fearful for their own child. That part of the setup felt very strange to me. However, overall it was still really interesting getting to see how the hospital was organized and learning more about the resources and care they provide for children and families.