I think I’m starting to feel the effects of these long days! But it is so worth it! Today we got to visit the BCU south side campus! This campus was so peaceful. Despite being located in a city, this campus was, in a way, isolated from the noise of the city because it was off the main road and in a more enclosed area. The lectures we got today at BCU were very interesting and forced me to think critically about both the United States and United Kingdom’s approach to healthcare.
Our first presenter today, Alicia Lashley, discussed the importance of public health on the healthcare system. The need for and importance of public health policy plays a crucial role on how both countries approach healthcare. I think both the US and UK have similar issues they need to address when it comes to healthcare and healthcare disparities as they are both first world countries. One term that we specifically talked about was the idea of a social gradient. This term encapsulates the idea that social status impacts one’s health. For example, a wealthier individual is more likely to live a better, healthier life then a poorer individual. This is a predominate issue in both countries and I think in order to make healthcare more equitable we need to narrow this gap. Social determinants of health play a huge role in the existence of these healthcare disparities. Where an individual lives can greatly impact their standard of life. that is do they have easy access to grocery stores, hospitals/doctor’s offices, clean water, areas to be physically active. All of these aspects, that sometimes are out of an individual’s control, can impact their quality of life. It is interesting that these issues are similar for both countries considering that they use very different approaches to healthcare. The UK takes a universal healthcare approach. This means that everyone has access to healthcare no matter what their circumstances are. Differently, the US takes a more private approach to healthcare with induvial acquiring private insurance, usually through their employer. While both systems have their advantages and disadvantages it is interesting to see how much overlap still occurs when it comes to public health inequalities.
We also had a lecture about mental health in nursing from Jonathan Gadsby. I like that we made it a point to talk about mental health because I think that is a huge problem in both the US and UK that we don’t really talk about as it is so stigmatized in society. This specific lecture was interesting because we got to hear from BCU students that are in the mental health nursing program. It was interesting to hear about their experiences because at BCU they have to declare the specific pathway they want to take at the beginning of university, whereas the nursing program in the States takes a more generalized approach and we get exposure to different fields. Hearing about their personal experiences as mental health nurses helped me better understand the UK’s issues when it comes to mental health. I think the most important thing I took away from hearing these students experience was to treat every patient as a person and really listen to what they are saying to be able to best help them. This really resonated with me because this mind set should and can be used in all fields of nursing. The most important thing we can do as healthcare providers is to be empathetic to our patients and treat them with curiosity. We want to build a trusting relationship with our patients, so they feel comfortable opening up to us. We shouldn’t judge them because we are just there to help them in their most vulnerable moments. A lot of these points were reinforced by Andrea Driver-Eilliams as she shared her experiences working with HIV patients.
In the evening, we were invited to a dinner by BCU. We got to talk to current and past BCU students and hear about their experiences at BCU with nursing and teaching. It was so much fun getting to compare our college experiences and differing life experiences with one another! Let’s just say culture shock was experienced by both sides! I also had the best brownie ice cream dessert!
Looking forward to another fun day tomorrow at BCU!
