NYU Florence Rory Meyers

After visiting the Dialysis Center, we took a trip to the Dialysis wing in the hospital in Pistoia. Here it was very different than the center, but also had some similarities. Within the hospital rooms there were aspects that were extremely colorful within the rooms, and the rooms had massive windows that looked out on the courtyard, still incorporating the importance of natural light. There was a room in which the healthcare providers meet with the families and it was a library, but something even more important also happened in that room. The healthcare providers would meet with a therapist to talk about what they go through, and help work through whatever is happening at that moment. This is extremely helpful, and is something that is lacked in the US. This care and work helps to prevent compassion fatigue in the healthcare workers, especially ones who work in such a difficult field. I really loved how there was the life cycle of a plant and there were trees, that could be looked at as the tree of life. This helped to normalize death and open up the conversation of it being a normal life process. There were also birds and butterflies on the wall and this reminded me of one of my favorite quotes: "just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly..."

Our last stop in Prato was to a Hospice. In the Hospice Center we had a great host, who really highlighted the importance about talking about death. This is an end of life treatment, and it is truly a time in which what ever the person needs or wants in that moment is given to them to ensure the best quality of life at the end of life. One of the nurses there really highlighted the importance of self care, especially as a healthcare provider working in a facility like this. He talked about how important it is to find your outlet in which you can look at death as a celebration of one's life and not as something that is so doomed and depressing. This building used to be an old orphanage and it has a beautiful view of the city. There is a family kitchen in which the families can come in and make and eat family dinner, they allow the patients pets to come in and stay with them, and they really make the care patient centered, so the person can leave this world feeling the best that they possibly can. The rooms themselves were very colorful, and the patients were able to decorate them how ever they pleased.

In the Nuovo Ospedale Di Prato, S. Stefano, there were several interesting aspects and elements that we do not see in the hospitals in the US. In the hospital the floor is lined with a non-slip piece that aligns with the colors on the signs, in which you follow to get to where you need to go within the hospital. There were also vending machines that distributed coffee and espresso, as well as some candy bars. Within the hospital there was also a full pharmacy that sold everything from chapstick and over the counter medication to shoes for healthcare providers. There was also a beauty salon that did hair and nails. This was an option for the patients, and if they could not get down to the salon then someone would go to their room and do their hair or their nails. This is something that is so small but yet can have such an impact on healing and helping those patients feel better about themselves. Throughout the visits and just being in Italy it became very evident how important religion is, and this hospital also provided a beautiful chapel for the patients, their families and visitors to access at anytime.