Today began with us learning about pregnancy and some of the potential complications that can occur. It was a fairly straightforward session, but still interesting because it showed how many different factors can affect pregnancy and how important it is for healthcare professionals to be aware of them. We briefly went over different situations where complications might arise and how they would be handled. One of the main parts of this session was using an Anatomage table to view the stages of pregnancy. This was probably the most useful part because instead of just hearing about it, we were actually able to see how everything develops over time. Being able to visualise it made it a lot easier to understand and made the session feel more interactive.
After that, we had a short lunch break. I had a bowl of tomato soup, which was somewhat bland but still alright. The break itself was not very long, but it gave us some time to sit down, talk a bit, and relax before moving into the main part of the day. It also helped break up the day so that the conference did not feel too overwhelming all at once.
After lunch, we attended the International Nursing and Midwifery Day conference. It started with brief introductions from members of the university staff, which mostly just set up the event and introduced the speakers. After that, we heard from one of the keynote speakers, Nikki Brockie from the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital.
Her speech focused on empowering nurses. Even though this is not directly related to my major, I still listened very closely because a lot of what she said could apply more generally. One of the main points she made was about looking back at past leaders in nursing and using their work to help guide the future. She emphasised that understanding the past is important when trying to improve systems in the present. She also talked about promoting change and bringing care back into the community rather than relying entirely on hospitals. This stood out because it connects to ideas about accessibility and making sure people can actually receive care where they are.
She also mentioned a report by the International Council of Nurses about the “Power of Nursing,” which emphasised how important nurses are within healthcare systems. One of the more interesting parts of her talk was when she discussed trust. She brought up an NHS initiative called “Martha’s Rule,” which focuses on making sure patients and families are listened to and taken seriously. That stood out because it highlights how important communication is, especially in situations where people might feel ignored or unsure about what is happening.
After that, we heard from Dr Marks, whose presentation was about embracing diversity. Her talk focused on equity, equality, access, and opportunity, as well as implicit bias. This was interesting because it is something that applies to many different fields, not just healthcare. The discussion about implicit bias stood out because it showed how people can make assumptions without even realising it, which can then affect the way they treat others or make decisions. This is especially important in both healthcare and education, where those decisions can have a direct impact on people’s lives.
Later on, we gave our group presentations. My group’s presentation was titled “Mental Health Care: US vs UK.” We compared both systems and looked at how mental health care is similar and different in terms of both nursing and education. We talked about things like access to care, how support systems are structured, and the role that institutions play in both countries. Our presentation went pretty well overall. We were organised, and everything flowed the way we had planned. It felt a bit more formal than a normal class presentation, which made it slightly more stressful, but it was still a good experience. It also felt more meaningful because we were presenting in a setting that was closer to a real academic or professional environment.
Another thing that stood out about the conference overall was how focused it was on not just technical skills, but also on values like trust, diversity, and community. It made it clear that being successful in healthcare is not just about knowledge, but also about how you interact with and support others. Even though I am not going into nursing, I could still see how many of these ideas apply to education as well.
Overall, today was a really good experience. It was different from some of the other days because it was less about visiting places and more about engaging with ideas and discussions. It also felt more interactive because we were not just listening, but also contributing through our own presentation.
This experience also reinforced the importance of creating supportive and inclusive environments. As a future educator, this is especially relevant because it shows how important it is to be aware of things like bias, communication, and making sure all students feel supported and heard. It also highlighted how important it is to build trust, whether that is in a classroom or in a healthcare setting.
Overall, this day helped me better understand how these concepts are applied in real-world settings and showed how different fields can overlap in terms of the values and skills that are important.