A Team of Six Brings Warmth and Confidence to Patients Infected with COVID-19

In the isolation ward of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Taikang Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, six nurses wearing protective clothing with the Chinese characters "Hua Liu Shui" written on their chests and a flower with six petals set next to them, aroused the curiosity of the patients.

"What do you mean by 'Hua Liu Shui' and the flower next to it?" a curious patient asked.

Chen Qingqing replied with a smile behind her mask: "Hua Liu Shui" is the name of our group, a team of six nurses on the same work schedule. The pronunciation of the team name is similar to "Hua Lu Shui," a kind of commodity which has the function of disinfection. The name was given by Chen. 

She has come up with many ideas for the team. She set up a self-service dining area in the ward equipped with fruits, milk, biscuits and instant noodles so that patients can have a snack any time they like.

A 4-year-old girl in the ward likes Li Shasha very much. "This may have something to do with my previous clinical work experience of taking care of children with leukemia. I pay more attention to children," Li explained.

"When the young girl first arrived, she was shy when meeting strangers. When she saw us wearing protective clothing, she would take a few steps backward," Li said, "I went to chat with her after work, and slowly we got to know each other. Now, she is familiar with us. When we go to the ward in the morning, she greets us and lets me help her dress."

Peng Mengni, a post-90s nurse in the Department of Neurology, mainly takes care of the senior patients in the ward.

"We had an old couple in the ward and they don't know how to use a smart phone. When they felt homesick, they looked out of the window," Peng said. "Therefore, I always took the initiative to accompany them and chat with them, and they often said that I was like their granddaughter."

Niu Jing, from the obstetrics and gynecology department, boasts good basic clinical skills. Niu can even easily perform venipuncture for old patients, whose blood vessels are not easy to find.

Zhang Helian and Zhang Xuyang, two male members in the team, do a lot of work in the ward as well, such as carrying and moving equipment, feeding the patients, and do the cleaning.

Zhang Helian, 33, has many years of working experience in the respiratory intensive care unit. As the team leader, he is like a "firefighter," always getting ready to support and help others.

Zhang Xuyang has six years of clinical experience in the intensive care unit of neurology. He is skilled at operating all the medical instruments and electronic equipment in the ward, including the non-invasive ventilator, ECG monitor, surveillance camera system, and call intercom.

Every day, the team members discuss their patients, what else they can do for them, and things to be improved in the ward, when they commute. The focus of their discussions is anything and everything related to the patients.

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