[Diaries from PKU medical teams in Hubei] Voices connect our hearts
Feb 25, 2020
Peking University, Feb. 25, 2020: On January 30, 2020, the second medical team from Peking University Third Hospital (PUTH) entered the isolation ward. The following diaries were written by three nurses respectively: Zhang Wenhui, Ma Jun and Hu Jing .
Zhang Wenhui (Endocrinology and Metabolism Department)
Thursday, January 30, 2020
In the isolation ward, I worked with a nurse who has three-year experience in Tongji Hospital. She was a typical Hubei girl. Her words and behaviors reflected how efficient she was at work, just like many other young women from Hubei. My goggles were blanketed with mist and sweat, so my vision was blurred. Under such circumstance, we relied on voices to locate each other. While waiting for other team members in the lounge, I heard a familiar voice, and I knew it came from the Hubei nurse whom I worked with just now.
On my way to work today, I felt very warm in bright sunshine. This reminded me of the “Three-Meter Sunshine” initiative put forward by nurses from PUTH. The initiative aimed to call for attention, concern and love to people within three meters around us and create a harmonious atmosphere for patients, their families and other colleagues.
Before coming to Hubei, Li Baohua, director of Department of Nursing, named our team “the first ray of three-meter sunshine to warm Wuhan”, in the hope that the team would warm this heroic city.
Ma Jun (Radiation Oncology Department)
Thursday, January 30, 2020
As an old Chinese saying goes, “Armies are to be trained in the course of long years, but to be used in the nick of time." This means training and preparations in normal times will enable one to cope with emergencies. After a few days of training, I went to the isolation ward for the first time.
In the cleaning area, I didn’t feel uncomfortable in the beginning when I put on the protective suit and other protective gear. However, owing to the stuffy suit and my growing nervousness, I felt uncomfortable after a while. My colleagues suggested me having a rest in the lounge. While I was taking a break, my colleagues had a heavier workload, but they did not complain at all. I gradually felt better in the lounge and adapted to the work environment when I entered the isolation ward once again. I finished all kinds of nursing work earnestly, together with nurses from local hospitals. After work, we shared our experiences with each other and I felt relieved after going through the nervousness and uneasiness in the beginning.
When I returned to the dormitory, I felt very touched to see that take-away food had been prepared for me, and more importantly it was still hot.
Hu Jing (Hematology Department)
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Today was my first time to step into the isolation ward. Before entering, Yuan Xiaoning, a member of our medical team, helped me check the protective gear. Besides, many of my teammates also helped me put on the shoe covers, write my name on the protective suit, and wear a face shield. It happened to be very busy when I entered the isolation ward. I had to distribute meals, fetch hot water for my patients, and check their temperature. Besides, I had to dispense medicine to patients in time and tell them how to take these drugs and some other kind reminders. Afterwards, I asked patients to repeat what I had just said, thus ensuring that they all memorized important instructions. These were easy work in an ordinary ward, but they were exceptionally difficult in the isolation ward. When I wore a set of protective gear, I was unable to breathe smoothly and I could only walk slowly. With a pair of goggles, I had a very limited vision, so I needed to control my breath and adjust my paces when I worked.
My partner in the isolation ward was a nurse from Tongji Hospital. We worked very well together, although we could only identify each other through eye contact and our names on protective suits. “Which hospital do you come from?” She asked. “Peking University Third Hospital,” I answered. “Thank you for coming from afar and offering support,” she added. “That’s what we had to do,” I replied. This was the only conversation we had beyond work. No matter how far we came from and whether we knew each other, our hearts were connected.
Translated by: Qiu Tianjie
Edited by: Wei Yunqi
Source: Peking University Third Hospital, People's Daily (Chinese)
