On May 12^th, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (ZJU4H) put up a series of activities to acknowledge and celebrate the commitment and bravery of our lovely nurses. A panel for discussion on the theme of “Why did you choose to be a nurse?” was held in English during the “Happy Hour” from 4 to 6 pm. The panel was presided over by Dr. YANG Lili, the Deputy Chief Nursing Officer of ZJU4H. An invited panelist, Dr. LIU Fuqin, the Associate Professor from the School of Nursing at Texas Women’s University, joined us online. Also present were more than 30 nurses and doctors in the hospital and in other places who are fighting the pandemic.

Holding up half the sky

Currently, around 865 nurses serve in outpatient, inpatient, emergency, and administration departments in ZJU4H, taking up over 40% of our front-line healthcare professionals. Dr. CHEN Weiying, the Associate Dean of the International School of Medicine, delivered the opening remarks. “You are the real heroes and heroines in harm’s way”, on behalf of the hospital leadership, Dr. CHEN highly praised the professionalism of all the nurses. She expressed the heartfelt gratitude for their efforts to provide the best care they can.

Glory in becoming nurses

During the panel session, many nurses shared their points of view. Some reckoned that it was because of enthusiasm that they chose to be nurses. “Do what you do and love what you do”, CHEN Liping, the ER clinical nurse, said. YE Chenxi, the specialty nurse, is committed to nursing. “It makes a difference”, she said.

“Follow your heart and it will change your life. Now I enjoy my teaching. Just keep learning and improve yourself”, Dr. LIU Fuqin said. She said that the nurses in the U.S. would go back to the university to learn more, and it was common for a nurse there to get a doctoral degree.

As nurses, their main responsibility is to help people who are sick, injured, disabled, or enduring a vulnerable time in their lives. When they bring high-quality care to the patients, they bring comfort and relief. The nurses in the panel are all proud of their career choice.

Leading future healthcare

This week’s “Happy Hour” was especially dedicated to the celebration of the International Nurses Day. Every Friday afternoon, the get-together at the Happy Hour provides exchanges between clinicians and scientists, as well as doctors and nurses from different departments. “Among others, Happy Hour is our important initiative to further the internationalization of the hospital”, according to Dr. CHEN, who is in charge of the international affairs. Only last year, the hospital had an attendance of over 10,000 foreign visits. To better serve the foreign residents in Yiwu, the hospital has mobilized all front-line healthcare providers including nurses to improve communication in English for better care. This aligns with the mission of the upcoming International Hub for Health: The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, the International School of Medicine, and the International Institutes of Health.