? ? ? ? May 12 marks the International Nurses Day, an annual celebration of the crucial work of nurses around the world. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses have been more than ever working on the front lines, often in difficult conditions.?

? ? ? ? "Having seen the strength and fragility of life so many times, I recall the saying 'people's life comes first' every time when we try to save a life," said Cheng Shouzhen, Director of Nursing Department of the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) during an interview with GDToday.?

? ? ? ? Cheng has been working in the field of respiratory and critical care for more than 4 decades. She also provided aid to countries and regions whenever needed. Despite the difficulties, she believes it's her mission to protect life.

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? ? ? ? China's nurses won international recognition for efforts in fighting against COVID-19

? ? ? ? Cheng was awarded with the Florence Nightingale Medal for being active in disaster situations and in the areas of public health and nursing education on May 12, 2021. The Florence Nightingale Medal, introduced in 1912, is the highest honor for nurses around the world.?

? ? ? ? Apart from Cheng, another two Chinese nurses were also awarded with this honor, making China the country with the largest number of winners in 2021. The three awarded nurses all went to Wuhan and joined the fight against COVID-19 in the beginning of 2020.

? ? ? ? On February 7, 2020, Cheng led a medical team consisting of 131 members to Wuhan to save the most critical patients when Wuhan was struck by the coronavirus. She was there combating COVID-19 for 61 days.

? ? ? ? According to the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, up to now, nearly 400 thousand nurses in Guangdong have joined the battle to save people in China’s fight against COVID-19. They are either at the front line, or working for normalized prevention and control.

? ? ? ? "The award shows the international recognition of China's efforts in combating COVID-19, and of our adherence to the Nightingale Spirit and the Red Cross Spirit," Cheng commented.

? ? ? ? In addition to the fight against COVID-19, Cheng was there in her hospital helping with the fight against SARS in 2003. After the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake occurred, Cheng was there to help treat patients. Moreover, she has reached the plateau and desert, joining in the national medical team, and the team of academicians and experts for many times, to send medical support there.

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? ? ? ? Guangdong nurses provide aid across the border during the pandemic

? ? ? ? When looking back to 2020, Cheng Shouzhen spent the International Nurses Day at a hospital with her international counterparts in Nis, a southern city of Serbia.?

? ? ? ? On May 3, 2020, Cheng asked to support Serbia for the health of people there when she has just finished her duty in Wuhan. She was there to share China's experience in disinfection, quarantine and COVID-19 prevention with Serbian counterparts.

? ? ? ? Before departure, Cheng learned about the local situation of Serbia online. She summarized her experience in Wuhan and made it into four sets of English manuals.

? ? ? ? "China's approach has been proven effective and was recognized by the people of Serbia. We hold the same belief with our international nursing colleagues, namely, to protect human health," Cheng recalled the International Nurses Day two years ago.

? ? ? ? She added, "As medical staff, we are also making due contributions to building of a community with a shared future for mankind."

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? ? ? ? "I am devoted to being a nurse with a warm heart and professional skills"

? ? ? ? Since 2012, Guangdong has seen a rapid growth in the number of registered nurses, with an average annual growth rate of 8.1 percent. By the end of 2021, there were 402 thousand registered nurses in Guangdong. The training of nurses has become more standardized and systematic, and specialized nursing has developed rapidly.

? ? ? ? Cheng said, "In terms of cultivating nurses, her hospital not only trains green hands, but also provides specialized training for nurses who have been graduated for 2 years. Meanwhile we are accelerating the training of high-level nurses."

? ? ? ? On the occasion of the International Nurses Day, the veteran nurse expressed her wishes.

? ? ? ? "As always, we will protect human health and provide patients with our heartfelt care and quality services. At the same time, we also call on the whole of society to offer nurses more understanding, respect and care. I also wish nurses a happy holiday."

? ? ? ? According to the International Council of Nurses (ICN), the new theme for International Nurses Day 2022 is "A Voice to Lead – Invest in nursing and respect rights to secure global health" which focuses on the need to protect, support and invest in the nursing profession to strengthen health systems around the world.

? ? ? ? On May 11, Guangdong held a symposium to celebrate the 111th International Nurses' Day. During the symposium, Cheng Shouzhen shared her experience, saying, "I feel very relieved every time when I see patients return to their families after recovery. I am devoted to being a nurse with a warm heart and professional skills."

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記者 Hannah, Chen Weifeng

報道鏈接：https://www.newsgd.com/node_99363c4f3b/9b0bb1c6eb.shtml

報道時間：2022-05-12