01
Meeting in the ward, facing the perplexing confusion of recovery
In the early morning, the gastrointestinal surgery ward is always filled with the bustling figure of Nurse Xiao Chen. As a male nurse who has been dedicated to the front line of nursing for six years, he has long been accustomed to the hustle and bustle between the wards and treatment rooms, and has witnessed the pain of countless illnesses and the joy of recovery. Uncle Fu, a simple-hearted old farmer in his sixties, and his recovery journey accompanied by a temporary ileostomy, have become the warmest chapter in his nursing career, and have further strengthened his original aspiration in nursing.
Uncle Fu underwent a temporary ileostomy after his rectal tumor surgery. This medical measure, intended to aid his recovery, has become a barrier between him and his family. As genuine local farmers, they are not fluent in Mandarin. Faced with unfamiliar ostomy care and home-based recovery requirements, the couple are filled with worry and helplessness. This small ostomy has become an uncontrollable unknown in their lives, engulfing them in confusion and anxiety.
02
Accompanied by the local accent, heartwarming nursing guidance
Upon learning about their predicaments, Xiao Chen deeply understood that apart from standardized nursing practices, it was even more crucial to address their inner confusion with sincerity. Every time he entered the ward, he would slow down his pace, explain the key points of ostomy care in his friendly Hainan dialect, and gently soothe their tense emotions. He repeatedly explained that ostomy was only a temporary stopover on the road to recovery, and shared real-life examples of ostomy patients in the department who had recovered and returned to their daily lives. With vivid stories, he slowly dispelled the gloom that hung over them.
Changing the ostomy bag is the key to nursing care, and it is also the most anxiety-inducing part for the couple. Every time they operate, Xiao Chen slows down her movements and tries her best to be gentle. She explains every detail in detail in her dialect, from measuring the ostomy base plate, pasting it correctly, to cleaning up excreta and protecting the skin. She demonstrates step by step, without using obscure medical terminology, just hoping they can see clearly and understand, so that their daily care after discharge can be more calm and confident.
03
"Stay connected, guard with care, the warm glow in the palm of your hand"
On the eve of her discharge, the elderly woman, clutching her old-fashioned mobile phone, earnestly asked Xiao Chen for his contact information, hoping to seek advice whenever she had any questions after returning home. At that moment, although Xiao Chen hesitated, knowing the difficulties of remote guidance and the busyness of his work, he saw the wrinkled face and expectant eyes of the elderly woman, and all his hesitations melted into understanding. He smiled, added her on WeChat, and saved her number, because he knew that this string of numbers was not only a sense of reassurance but also a source of reliance for the elderly couple.
Six years of clinical practice have made Xiao Chen understand more profoundly that the medical treatment for patients with ileostomy is not just about physical recovery, but also about psychological reconstruction. They have to adapt to physiological changes and fight against self-doubt and anxiety. What nursing staff can do goes far beyond just executing medical orders. A comforting word in a local accent, a patient teaching, a firm gaze, and a phone number that can be called at any time all have healing power that surpasses medication.
We are nurses, guardians of patients' physical ailments, and companions and guides for their psychological reconstruction. When patients entrust their trust to us, when we become the glimmer of light in their confusion and the harbor in their helplessness, this warmth of being needed and trusted is the most sacred and touching significance of the nursing profession. It is like a beacon, illuminating not only the patients' path home but also our original aspiration in the profession.
Author: Chen Bin
Editor: Zhang Huana
First instance: Huang Guifang
Second instance: Jiang Bei
Source: Hainan Cancer Hospital Nursing Official Account