This incredible 3-week experience in Florence has taught me so much about myself and has encouraged me to look at things in different ways. When I embarked on my experience abroad I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I was over the moon excited thinking about meeting new people and putting myself out there to encounter new experiences. From the moment I got on the plane to the end of the three-week course, I found myself coming out of my shell in so many ways. I have a newfound sense of confidence and a desire to put myself out there because you never know what you will learn or find out about yourself. This experience has enabled me to be more independent and in those moments of independence, I realized that I will always have myself to rely on. These experiences brought me a deep sense of inner happiness and showed me that I need to start putting my energy into things that I truly enjoy. My eyes were opened through Nursing Ethics because I learned so much information that I will utilize every shift as a nurse. Being in Florence was applicable to the study of nursing ethics because I was able to learn about the differences in laws/ways of doing things between Italy and the United States. I enjoyed visiting the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova in Florence because it is located in the middle of town and has been caring for tourists and residents over the last 700 years, never missing a single day, even during plagues, revolutions, wars or natural disasters. It was great being able to see all the old pictures and artifacts from the hospital. In class, we talked about several things including the role of midwives, LGBTQ laws in Italy, and sexual assault issues in Italy. I learned several differences between the roles of a nurse in Italy and the roles of a nurse in the U.S. One difference being that nurses in Italy can hold positions in an ambulance alongside volunteers. I also appreciated learning about the ethical principles of beneficence, autonomy, justice and maleficence.

The ethical principle of autonomy may be the most difficult to uphold in my nursing practice because nurses often work within a healthcare team and must balance the patient’s autonomy with the need to provide safe and effective care. Patients may have cognitive or physical impairments that limit their ability to make informed decisions, and nurses may need to advocate for their patients’ best interests. One example where autonomy may be difficult to uphold in my future nursing career may be when a patient with a chronic illness refuses to take their medication, even though it may be critical for their health. As a nurse, my job would be to balance my patient’s right to make a decision with the need to ensure that the patient receives the care they need to manage their health condition.

An American nurse and an Italian nurse may differ on what is considered most ethical because they come from different cultural backgrounds and have different values and beliefs. In the United States, there is a strong emphasis on family and community values; whereas, in Italy, there seems to be a greater emphasis on family and community values. For example, In Italy, you can make the choice to receive deep palliative sedation at age 14, whereas, in the United States, you cannot make those decisions for yourself until the age of 18. On the other hand, they could easily agree on what is considered most ethical if they share the same ideas of what patient care should look like. If both nurses value the importance of patient-centered care and practice with respect to patient autonomy, they may approach ethical dilemmas in a similar way. Both nurses may be guided by the ethical principles of justice, autonomy, beneficence, and nonmaleficence. So in this instance, they would both want what they think is best for their patient and what would provide the most comfort. If the patient wanted to go through with deep palliative sedation, both nurses would want to uphold the principle of autonomy and hear out their patient’s thoughts.

The discussion that has affected me the most would definitely be the woman who talked about the legal aspects of nursing when it came to sexual assault. I had several feelings and emotions of sadness during her talk, especially when it came to some of the statistics she pointed out. 500,000 sexual assaults occur, with only about 120,000 reports, 24,000 arrests, and 12,000 convictions per year. I knew a little bit about a Rape Kit beforehand, but I thought that it could be used for more than just evidence. Sadly, this is not the case. I hope that there is more reformation from here onwards and hope that as a nurse I can help those who are seeking help from situations of sexual assault.

One of my favorite parts about this experience was the in-class debates. Although we were assigned sides, it was interesting to form an opinion and back it up with evidence and facts. I will be able to take that experience with me as a nurse because I know that people are not always going to agree on certain healthcare decisions, especially potential patients. Being able to approach patient-centered care without judgment is important because it can help you understand your patients’ perspectives and provide care that is tailored to their needs.

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Nursing Ethics in Italy