Edinburgh Napier University, UK

Kit-Laam Chan
Rebecca Kam-Ling Lau
Ann Wing-Man Li
Yee-Man Liu
Martin Wai-Yip Lo
Tsz-Kiu Wong
Year 2 Bachelor of Nursing (Full-time) students

Kwok-Ching Poon
Year 2 Bachelor of Nursing (Part-time) RN student

It seems a bit cliché to say that the exchange programme broadened our horizons, but in this fruitful week we had many opportunities to explore Edinburgh, from healthcare to culture. We received an overview of Edinburgh’s healthcare system that included antepartum to postpartum care, adult mental healthcare, sexual healthcare and children’s healthcare, through our visits to the Birth Centre and Maternity Unit of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Chalmers Sexual Health Centre, Rachel House Hospices and the Orchard Clinic of Royal Edinburgh Hospital. Many of these units and centres were designed to fulfil both the physical and psychological needs of the service users. It is admirable that the nurses and staff are passionate about the care they provide to patients and service users. We were also impressed that a patient was allowed to visit with her horse inside the Rachel House Children’s Hospice to fulfil her end-of-life wish. Our visit also provided us with the remarkable experience of attending lectures and simulated labs, where we learnt through role play to understand patients’ feelings when being treated by different nursing styles. The design of the centres and hospitals is very patient-centred and humane, for example, there are outdoor and indoor playgrounds, a mini-kitchen, a party room full of coloured pads, adjustable lighting and music for child patients, and a bedroom/temporary mortuary where parents can spend as long as they desire with their deceased child. We also visited many heritage museums and tried Edinburgh delicacies such as haggis pizza, which is made of minced sheep’s organs. The exchange programme was definitely eye-opening culturally, intellectually and professionally.