Nursing Team Leader on Front Line of Anti-Virus Fight

Lu Mei is a military medical team member assisting the fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Central China's Hubei Province and she was appointed as the nursing team leader of the Infection Department of Taikang Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, capital city of Hubei.

After the outbreak of the COVID-2019, Lu applied three times to go to assist the anti-virus fight in Wuhan. She was also among the first to apply to work in the red zone where critical patients are treated. 

Late at night, when most patients are asleep, Lu and her colleagues are still busy in classifying medicines, disinfecting door handles of wards and cleaning floors. 

As the leader of the nursing team, Lu needs to cooperate with the head nurses to formulate and implement nursing processes and to grade the nursing care according to patients' conditions. 

Middle-aged and elderly patients are harder to nurse and need a higher nursing standard. Most patients don't know much about COVID-19, which makes them feel anxious and isolated. An old patient with pulmonary heart disease even refused treatment. 

After finding out about it, Lu talked with him and encouraged him to receive treatment. His mood gradually settled down and his situation improved day by day. 

With considerate care, Lu and her patients have gradually become friends.   

A lot of patients nursed by Lu and her team members have been discharged from hospital, the best outcome for them and the nursing team. 

Lu has 15 years of nursing experience, including seven years of practice in a head nurse position and having participated twice in risky and tough situations. Lu adapted quickly to fighting on the front line against the epidemic. 

Since the members of her team come from different departments, Lu not only needed to lead them to complete the nursing work but also to keep them from being infected. 

Team member Wu Haiyang worked in a nursing home before coming to Wuhan. The clinical nursing work in the red zone was a great challenge for her. Lu patiently taught Wu the processes of putting on and taking off the protective gear to make sure she wouldn't be infected by the virus.  

Due to the red zone being populated with many old patients, general practical nursing is required each day. Lu taught herself such knowledge and even before falling asleep at night she reviewed it mentally. 

"Don't be afraid," Lu's father used to say. The memory, the trust from her colleagues and the expectations of the patients are all great support for Lu to move forward and achieve more in nursing work. 

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