Thursday January 31st: After grabbing breakfast at the Blue Dolphin, we all headed to our clinical sites for the day. Today I was with West Family Health; upon arrival I was introduced to some of the material that they hand out to new parents and developmental guidelines for the home visits. I then headed off to a group for new mothers that are held every Thursday with the nurse. She explained the importance of the group to me as we drove to the community center and then I helped her set up.

Today we had about 15 mothers attend the group. For the first 30 minutes the mothers followed the nurse’s directions in giving their babies a massage. This helps to deepen the bond between mother and baby, and also helps with circulation, growth, and relaxation. After the massage, we set up blankets and toys for the babies to interact with while the mothers socialized. During this time, a nutritionist made her way around the room to offer advice to the new breast-feeding mothers. The nurse explained that breast-feeding rates are low in Scotland, so she was excited to see that there were at least three breast-feeding mothers. She also explained that due to an act in 2005, it is illegal to ask a breastfeeding mother to move or go somewhere private when feeding a baby, and it is punishable by a fine of more than 1,000 pounds.

I was taken on two home visits, and was surprised at how involved this organization was with the community. The home visitors develop long-term relationships with the mothers and families over the first five years after birth to ensure that they feel welcome to reach out when they need to.  The Home Visitors dedication and passion to their career shows that they love what they do.

We later arrived at Michelle’s for dinner to be greeted by Harris and Hamish, Michelle and Bills’ two new puppies. The menu for the night included haggis, neeps, and tatties, which we were all nervous to try after we had Googled what the contents were. To our surprise, Haggis was quite brilliant, as many as us went for thirds. After the main course we enjoyed a homemade chocolate mousse cake. Their hospitality was unmatched.

After we departed from Michelle and Bills’, we explored downtown Inverness. We happened to stumble upon and provided a private audience for about fifteen fiddlers who were playing Scottish folk songs.  It was a perfect Scottish evening we will never forget!

Cheers!

Stephanie Taylor

Thursday January 31st, 2019: Today we had our last clinical day in the hospital in Stirling.  We woke up to an overcast, cloudy day and were dropped off at Fort Valley and the Falkirk community hospital.   The nurses all week have been so opening and welcoming to us in this environment.  Our biggest revaluation of Scottish nursing is how warm, welcoming and open they are to their patients. It was a refreshing sight, as from what I have experienced in the U.S. nurses are more focused on the medical needs of the patient whereas the Scottish nurses are focused on their emotional and spiritual needs. 

As the morning passed and the lunch hour arrived, we were picked up by our lovely cabbie driver, Willie to be transported to Fort Valley Royal Hospital for the remainder of the day. For lunch, the group enjoyed the hospital’s canteen and I was lucky enough to enjoy freshly prepared pasta bowl. 

As the day was winding to the end, I was feeling a little melancholy as this was our last time with Willie. Like a grandfather, Willie was warm, friendly, and kind throughout our time with him. He was kind enough to talk to us about the local area, the history behind the land, and engage in friendly banter. 

I will never forget this week, and all the friendly faces and people we met during our rotation at the Fort Valley Royal Hospital and Falkirk Community Hospital.  

Lora Sigman

Tuesday January 29th, 2019: In the early morning at the Stirling Court Hotel, the group woke up to a surprise snowfall! We arrived at the Fort Valley Royal Hospital all bundled up and ready to begin our first clinical day.

Our day started with an introduction and welcome orientation from Chief Deputy District Nurse, Ellen Hudson. Next on the agenda was a tour of the maternity ward which was led by Gail. We were welcomed warmly by Gail and the staff with an ¡Hola! as they thought we were the students from Spain. After a laugh and clarification, we started the maternity tour in high spirits. We visited the Children’s Ward, NICU, and Labor and Delivery. During the tour, we were surprised to learn that this facility was primarily run by midwives as opposed to physicians. Additionally, the Labor and Delivery Ward was decorated by primary school children and volunteers.

Another important item to note during the tour was the amount of signage posted on the walls which addressed how to prevent scalds in children, baby cues and their meanings, smoking, patient skin care, and nurses in medication administration.

After the tour ended, we traveled to the hospital canteen to have lunch and prepared to branch out in our separate clinical placements. I was sent to the Emergency Department and was shocked to find out that Forth Valley utilizes paper charting for physical assessments, vital signs, levels of consciences, Braden Scale and Care and Comfort Checklist. I found the management and structure of Emergency Department in Fort Valley to be very similar to the local hospitals in the Tampa area. Also, something unique about the National Health Service (NHS) is that they have standardized the uniforms for the healthcare workers. A few examples of the standardized uniform are all students in their clinical placements wear grey, nursing assistants wear light blue, and nurses wear a darker blue.

When 1600 rolled around, we all arrived at the front of the hospital and we were welcomed by Willie our cabbie driver. He drove a short distance to pick up the rest of the group from the Forth Valley Community Hospital. As a group, we all decided to make a spontaneous trip to visit The Kelpies in Falkirk.

The Kelpies are large horsehead sculptures which represents Scottish folklore of shape-shifting water spirits. According to Scottish folklore, the kelpies are often described to be a horse like figure inhabiting bodies of water. Overall, it was a fantastic day to be in Scotland!

Padmini Kumar

Monday January 28th, 2019: Our first introduction to what nursing looks like in Scotland started off with friendly introductions with the University of the Highlands and Islands personnel. We learned about the opportunities afforded to student nurses while studying here. Nursing students in Scotland do not have to pay tuition to attend their three-year program, and as a bonus get a “bursary” grant each year.  The opportunity to specialize in different areas in nursing while in school is a great benefit to the nurses’ education.

While we were in a lecture, we witnessed an “air-ambulance” (helicopter) land and a patient be escorted into the hospital. The university works very closely with NHS (National Health Service), which provides health services to those in the UK based on need, and not on the ability to pay for it. It is funded with taxes, and free to the patients.

After a wonderful lecture on what Midwifery in looks like in Scotland, we were off to Fort George, which “was built in the wake of the Battle of Culloden (1746) as a secure base for King George II’s army.” (https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/fort-george/). We saw beautiful grounds, scenery, a museum and there was even a dog cemetery- one of only two in Scotland! The combination of amazing scenery and reading letters that soldiers wrote to their parents was quite moving.

Although we have only had a wee time here, we cannot wait to see what is in store for us next! We are so appreciative of our fearless leader, Dr. McGhee!

Nikole Phipps

Monday January 28th, 2019: Today was the first day that our group was introduced to the Scottish nursing world. After a brief orientation, we were able to visit the Dementia Services Development Centre at the University of Stirling. This audio tour was very eye opening in regards to the way dementia patients are cared for in the UK. We were surprised to learn that red and yellow are the last two colors that dementia patients forget therefore those two colors were prominent throughout the care setting model.

Next, we explored the Forth Valley Royal Hospital where we were able to meet some of the Stirling nursing students as well as several faculty members. Everyone greeted us with warmth and excitement and were curious as to how our travels were, how we are enjoying the country so far and asking about things to do in Tampa when their students participate in an international clinical experience in April. This tour and interactions with the students and staff has made us all eager to start our public health clinicals here in Scotland.

The last stop we made before heading back to the hotel was Maggie’s Centre, which is lovingly called Maggie’s house. This is a non profit organization for cancer patients located a short walk from the hospital. They rely fully on donors to support their cause which provides cancer patients and families with a caring and welcoming environment that offers support, information and practical advice.

We found it very interesting that the building was made like an art piece, mimicking a bird and fish through architectural details. The facility did not have any clocks and centered around a kitchen table in order to create a space where time was not the focus but rather the care and moments spent engaged with the patients.

Kathleen Monahan

Sunday January 27th, 2019: After the traveling adventures and arriving to Inverness ten past two o’clock in the morning, we finally were able to experience Scotland. Our adventures began with a drive into Inverness for a coffee prior to the jaunt to Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle.

The winding road to the castle, skirting the edges of Loch Ness, was scenic and in the distance, fog was rolling in. Upon arrival to the castle, excitement and energy elevated, regardless of the two-ish hours of sleep most of us were running on.

An obligatory movie, eight minutes in length prefaced the history of the castle. As the movie concluded, curtains automatically opened to reveal the view from the theatre. As we proceeded outside, snow began to fall. Two group members witnessed snowfall for the first time while visiting a castle in Scotland, which is an experience unparalleled. We wandered all over this incredible castle, well, the ruins remaining, and most of us felt an emotional moment while standing on the stones, gazing out on the Loch.

After returning from the Urquhart and Loch adventure, we rested for a bit. The cool evening air made for a pleasant walk to Inverness for dinner at a scrumptious pizza place. Following supper, we explored Inverness on foot and took in the sights and sounds of the city.

Taylor R. Jordan

Sunday January 27th, 2019: The first day exploring the authenticity of Scotland consisted of taking a train into Edinburgh. Without a set plan, but rather a “go with the flow” mindset, the group mutually decided to hike Arthur’s Seat- a 3-mile hike with a peak of a 2000 ft elevation increase. The view overlooked the entire city of Edinburgh, neighboring lush mountains, and surrounding lakes.

We finished the hike with visiting the Palace of Holyroodhouse, The Queen’s official residence in Edinburgh. We saw The Elephant House, the birthplace of Harry Potter, and finished the night with eating delicious food at a local tavern.

Edinburgh seems to be diverse in activity and culture, as well as providing efficient public transportation. The locals were all extremely nice and welcoming to us, making our first day in town amazing.

Amanda Rothman

Friday January 25th, 2019: The journey to Scotland has begun. The group arrived at the Tampa International Airport at 1500 for a 1725 flight to London Gatwick airport with a connecting flight from Gatwick to Glasgow, Scotland. After boarding the British Airways plane in Tampa, we were delayed 45 minutes due to technical difficulties. Not even a technical difficulty could deter our excitement about arriving to the land of the Loch Ness. However, the technical difficulty would define the next 30 hours.

We missed our connecting flight to Glasgow, Scotland but with a little maneuvering by USF staff we were able to get another flight out of the Heathrow airport which is about an hour from Gatwick. To get to Heathrow, we were given tickets to a shuttle bus that drove us through the city. Exhausted we finally got on our connecting flight which smoothly brought us into Scotland to the smiling face of Dr. McGhee who we were all pleased to see. While at this time we were all too tired to truly realize what was happening – I am sure tomorrow will bring the realization that we are finally on the trip we have been looking forward to for months.

Ramsey Valdes

Group A departs in just over 7 days plus a few hours! All the hard work preparing for the trip will be worth your effort. I look forward to experiencing this adventure with you while you are at the University of Stirling.

Working on some planning details for accompanying the students on an incredible opportunity to nurse and be nursed in beautiful Scotland in March…