I have told the story of how I started a career in nursing and then decided to switch to education, which I love; however, today truly reminded me why I selected nursing in the first place. Touring Birmingham Children’s Hospital reminded me how truly amazing it is that people allow you to take care of…
Category: Education
Nurse for a Day
Today was a day dedicated primarily to hands-on skill labs, which made it a very different experience compared to the lecture-based days we’ve had so far. Instead of sitting and listening, we were actively involved in practising real healthcare techniques, which made the day feel much more engaging and immersive. We began the day by…
Birmingham Day 5: Catheters and Care
Today we spent a lot of the day in the skills lab. This is something all the nursing students have not yet done, but will be doing next semester. Skill labs are a hands on simulation of likely scenarios that practices necessary skills for a specific field. We did two skill labs, one was catheterisation…
Day 5: Learning Beyond the Lecture
Today we had the pleasure of participating in a simulation lab, and it was one of the most hands-on and interactive experiences we have had so far. The day allowed us to apply practical healthcare knowledge while also learning about the differences between medical practices in the United Kingdom and the United States. It was…
A Silent Walk through Medicine
Today our trip was to ALFA LAMBDA, a Greek company that specializes in providing logistics and supply chain services for the healthcare sector. It was very interesting for me to get acquainted with the level of organization and preciseness involved in operating with medical devices. First of all, it impressed me with its silent and…
From Classrooms to Gardens: A Day of Learning in Birmingham
Today began with a visit to Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College, where we had the opportunity to sit in on two English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classrooms. In the United States, this is more commonly referred to as English as a Second Language (ESL), so it was interesting to see both the similarities…
Birmingham Day 4: Supporting Students with Varying Needs
Today we went to the Joseph Chamberlain College. College in England is not how it is in the US. In the US college and university are used synonymously, however in the UK college is the second part of high school before university. This specific college or sixth form school supports many lower-socioeconomic individuals. However, this…
Education and Exploration in England: Day 4
So far, today has been my favorite day of the trip. Maybe it is because it was the most education-based day we have had so far, or maybe because we were able to experience so much of the culture here in England. Either way, today was both meaningful and memorable, and it gave me an…
Today Rocked (Day 10)
While visiting the Titan Cement facility, I did not know that I would become so fascinated with their process of manufacturing cement. Starting from clinker, which is a very raw and unprocessed material, they are able to create four varieties of cement, each used for particular applications, and providing these products not only in the…
Birmingham Day 3: Public Health and History – How it connects to education.
Today we walked to the south campus and began with a lecture on public health in the UK by Dr. Sara Zarti. Public health is preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through organized efforts of society. Health specifically includes your physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Public health promotes healthy lifestyles and tackles inequities, protects…
Day 3: Empathy, Equity, and Everything In Between
Today was an extremely information-packed day. From our first lecture to our last, and everything in between, we discussed so many important topics that connected not only to healthcare, but also to education and everyday life. The three ideas that stood out to me the most throughout the day were empathy, advocacy, and equity. Even…
A Full Day of Lectures: Public Health, Midwifery, and Mental Health
Today was a much more lecture-focused day compared to the past few days, but it still ended up being really interesting and engaging in a different way. Instead of walking all over the city, most of our time was spent learning about different aspects of healthcare in the UK through a series of lectures at…
Ports are more than just the content of containers
As we Piraeus Container Terminal’s port, we encountered various types of cargo containers, from standard 20 feet and 40 feet containers. During our tour around the port, we could see different constructions being carried out, as well as different cranes and forklifts that were handling the cargo. It was exciting to spot two extremely rare…
First Day at BCU, Lots of Walking, Part 2
Today was our first full day visiting Birmingham City University, and it turned out to be another long day filled with a lot of walking, but also a really interesting and worthwhile experience overall. We started the day with a tour of both the City Centre and South campuses. My first impression of BCU was…
Burns & Birmingham: Day Two
Today we visited Birmingham City University, which created a very welcoming and warm environment from the moment we arrived. The buildings were overwhelmed with natural light and beautiful colors, making the space feel modern, inviting, and far from dreary. Unlike some campuses that can feel cold or intimidating, BCU immediately felt student-centered and comfortable. Walking…
Birmingham Day 2: Birmingham & Burns
Today we got to explore the Birmingham City University, also known as BCU, campus where we will be studying over the course of this study abroad trip. To get there we took a double decker bus, it was mostly everyone’s first time on one. We all sat on the second floor to get the full…
Birmingham Day: 1
Today we arrived early in London, and even earlier in what time it would be in Pittsburgh. At first glance the city appears similar to the US. It reminded me of what my one neighbor said about how traveling makes you realize we are all more connected than we may think. There are people and…
Lots of Walking, Part 1
We landed this morning at 10 AM, London time, after an overnight flight from Pittsburgh. None of us got much sleep on the plane, so we were all completely exhausted by the time we arrived. The flight itself was pretty quiet, but not especially comfortable, which made it harder to rest. The food, though, was…
Birmingham, England through American Eyes
My first day in Birmingham was an interesting experience, honestly. Everything felt so familiar, but different at the same time. Walking around the streets, it felt just like home in some ways with places like Five Guys, Burger King, and Subway, but in between there were unique restaurants, statues, museums, and so much more. It…
Timeless moments aren’t made selfishly
While we were in Nafplio today, we were given some free time after sightseeing around the town and its churches. While some folks opted for a bit of shopping or a snack, we, in our little group, chose to hike up the mountain and admire some stunning sights. Although the journey was tough, one crucial…