Southern Metropolis Daily:
During the epidemic, many nurses have left deep impressions on us as young nurses post vlogs to record their experience. Nursing is crucial in the medical treatment of COVID-19. My question is: As a head nurse in an ICU, how do you lead your team to provide scientific care for critical patients? And do you have any stories for us?
Zhong Xiaofeng:
Thank you for your questions. The ICU stands between life and death. We face higher risks and a bigger workload compared to those in other wards. So we attach great importance to cooperation and building a team culture. In our daily work, we focus on practicing nursing skills and collaborative operations. For example, I can perform technically demanding operations like plasma exchange and the use of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation by myself. However, there are some activities that definitely need the cooperation of other colleagues including the rescuing and transporting of patients, turning them over in bed and even cleaning up waste. Each procedure is of vital importance to the patients and must be carried out carefully.
One particular day I was impressed when a young nurse came out of the ward after taking off her protective clothing. She was sweating and crying as she squatted down. I thought she was tired or unwell, so I immediately went over to comfort her. The nurse told me she was so happy to see a patient that she had been taken care of for over a month regain consciousness. He actually shed tears when the nurse spoke to him. This made her feel all her efforts were worth it.
In addition, colleagues who finish work used to leave for home directly. But now, those who complete their tasks earlier wait outside the ward. They want to see all members come out safely after work, which they feel is reassuring to them. Thank you.
