Nurse Lightens Patients' Mood with Dance

Sun Mengjie, a nurse who leads patients in a dance in a mobile cabin hospital in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, poses with a V gesture. [China Women's News]

"I hope that through our efforts, the patients can relax their mood, relieve their anxiety, cooperate with the treatment with a positive attitude, and strive for a speedy recovery and discharge. This is my greatest concern!"

The remark was made by Sun Mengjie, a nurse in the "Wuhan Livingroom" mobile cabin hospital.

A video clip of Sun, 27, leading patients in the cabin hospital in a dance, recently went viral on China's social media platforms.

A group of patients infected with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) at the hospital demonstrated their spirit and vitality as they exercised together for better health.

The nurse, from a hospital in Zhangye City, Northwest China's Gansu Province, joined a medical team assisting Wuhan and arrived in the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak on February 5.

Sun, one of the youngest of the 14-member team, is the only child of her parents. She has a 3-year-old daughter.

She said the public attention was out of her expectation, recalling that the head nurse suggested that they should help patients relax.

The head nurse gave the suggestion in a casual way, without any specific requirement, Sun added.

She took the opportunity to teach the patients a cheerful Mongolian dance, which is quite popular on social platforms. She said she happened to learn it at home before coming to Wuhan. 

It is also a psychological treatment for the patients, she explained, saying that they received the exercise well.

The patients hoped the nurses could help lighten their mood through similar leisure activities in the coming days.

In addition to their daily tasks, such as temperature checks, physical examinations, distribution of medicine and meals, Sun and her fellows also share casual chat and relaxing activities with the patients, observing their psychological changes.

"Even though I worked in the respiratory department, I was a little nervous before I came. However, as soon as I began to work at the hospital, I completely forgot what nervousness and fear are, and was too busy to think about them," Sun said.

She was grateful for the support of her husband, father and mother, as well as her parents-in-law, which is the greatest source of her motivation.

"I hope the epidemic will end as soon as possible. When the masks are removed, my family and I, as well as my patients, will be able to see each other's smiles. I am looking forward to it," Sun said.

(Source: China Women's News/Translated and edited by Women of China)