Today we woke up and turned in our keys. After locking up our luggage for the day, we went to BCU for our last lectures. First you know I had to get a hot chocolate from Costa. 

Our first lecture was about smoking and cardiovascular disease. There are 18 million deaths annually due to CV disease. It is the leading cause of death globally. In the United States, 1 person dies every 33 seconds from CV disease. To avoid smoking and increasing the risk of CV disease, the UK has the NHS Long-Term Plan that was developed in 2019 and is set to be completed by 2029. Similarly, the US has Million Hearts 2027 which was developed by the CDC to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes within 5 years. To prevent smoking, you have to understand why people smoke. Nicotine activates nicotinic Acetylcholine receptors which releases dopamine, making the user feel good. It enhances neurotransmission in the Ventral Tegmental Area and Nucleus Accumbens areas of the brain.

After we finished, we went through a tour of BCU’s simulation labs. It was awesome; with the use of animatronics and innovative technology, it creates a perfect learning environment and experience. They had realistic models that were anatomically accurate, including a baby that cried and moved. They had many different rooms designated for different specialties. They had an operating room and anesthesia room which were top notch. They even had an ambulance model that had the whole ambulance minus the wheels and driver seats. 

After the amazing tour, we had our very last lecture which was on Learning Disability Nursing. We learned about what it means to be learning disabled and the criteria to be considered such. It must be apparent before the age of 18 or else it is considered a traumatic brain injury. Learning disabilities significantly reduce the ability to understand complex information or to learn new skills. There is also a reduced ability to cope independently both practically and socially. Some causes include: a mother’s illness in pregnancy, birth trauma, genetics, and illness or injury in early childhood. I also learned the term eugenics which is the belief that genetics of human populations can be improved through genecide etc.