I started off the day today by being very nervous. This obviously doesn’t sound like a great start, but I was also a little excited at the same time too. Today was the International Nursing Conference and we were to present our slideshow to the staff/members of Birmingham City University. Knowing that my group was the first group to present only made me more nervous. However, I told myself some motivational words and started getting ready for the big day.
To begin with, I wore my professional attire for the first time and in a way, I felt a sense of confidence. By this point, there was a good mix of excitement and nervousness in me. I went down for a nice breakfast and met with my group in the lobby.
Soon, we all headed over to Birmingham City University. To begin the day off, we learned about pregnancy and the development of the fetus. We also got to use the Anatomage tables. I was already familiar with the Anatomage tables since I have seen them in my previous nursing classes, such as anatomy and physiology. However, I have never really used it and explored it all that much. It was very interesting to use the Anatomage table to view the different stages of the fetal development and see how a baby grows throughout a pregnancy. The Anatomage also allowed us to watch an animated model of a mother giving birth to a child. This helped us to visually see what would be occurring during labor instead of us having to imagine. Personally, I love to look at visual pictures and models to understand something. I realized that the Anatomage table is a very good way to study and learn with visual pictures, especially when it comes to nursing related stuff. I told myself that next time, if I need to, I should make use of the Anatomage table we have at Pitt.
After this little lecture, we got a little break and split off into our groups to work on our presentations. By this time, I was starting to feel a little unwell. I took some medicine and went on with the day. I met up with my group and we made a few adjustments to our slideshow. Then, we sat down and wrote some flashcards so that we would have something to refer off of when presenting in front of a bigger audience. I still did not know what to really expect for the international nursing conference but I kept telling myself I will be alright and that we were going to do great.
As a break, we decided to grab lunch very quickly. I went to the cafeteria and got myself a sandwich. I ate it very quickly and went back into the classroom. Now, we presented one last time in front of our professor to practice and receive any last minute advice. As I was presenting with my flashcards, I felt way more confident. This reduced my anxiousness and allowed me to relax a little.
Soon, it was time for the conference to begin. First, we heard from the Chair of the college. Then, we heard from the heads of some of the nursing department in addition to a keynote speaker. Each one of their speeches and/or presentations was unique because they either talked about their own experience in nursing or about how we can strive to become better nurses and the knowledge we need. Then, we took a short break and had some coffee and pastries.
After the break, we gathered again to continue. We started off by listening to Dr. Mark’s presentation, which was about implicit biases. I found this super interesting because implicit biases are not done purposefully. Sometimes, it is purely unintentional but it is our responsibility as nurses or educators to catch ourselves when we form implicit biases. Next, we had a few student nurses in midwifery and adult nursing share their experiences and what their advice to future nurses would be. Listening to their advice really made me realize what I should focus on when it is time for me to do clinical rotations next year.
After the student panel, it was my group’s time to present. Our presentation was comparing the US and UK’s education and healthcare system when it comes to assisting individuals with special needs. I was very nervous as I was walking to the front of the room. However, once we got started, I felt confident and just went on with the flow. I knew what I was talking about and conveyed all the information that needed to be said. Eventually, we successfully presented our slideshow. In a way, I was kind of glad that my group was first because it was good to know that we were all done and we did a good job too.
After we presented, I sat back down and listened to all the peers present their slideshows. At this time, I slowly started to feel unwell and a little sick. However, I distracted myself and soon the conference was over. It was such a nice experience and one that I will never forget since it was my first time presenting in a professional setting. I am very thankful for this experience.
After the conference, we came back to the hotel for a few minutes and went out for dinner as a group. After dinner, I came back and finished my blog. Then, I told myself I was going to take some Tylenol, get some good rest, and sleep since tomorrow was going to be a busy but fun day!