College students and nurses from China and abroad gathered in Shanghai to compete with nursing skills on Saturday.

The Shanghai International Nursing Skills Competition was organized by Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences. The university won the Chinese medical school category, Huadong Hospital won in the Chinese hospital category and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee won the international group.

During the competition, a pair of competitors from medical schools or hospitals had to take care of a patient and a family member, played by actors and actresses, communicating with the patient and relative in English.

“We have to make the patient feel at ease and comfortable at every step,” said Shan Jiaxin, a competitor from Shanghai. “We have to tell him clearly what we will do to him to get his permission and not make him uncomfortable or frightened.”

Zhu Aiyong, dean of the university's school of nursing, said this year's event focused not only on' nursing skills, but kindness.

“Chinese nurses have good skills, but some are not good enough at putting patients at ease, which I believe is one of the reasons for the increase in disputes between hospitals and patients,” he said.

Chinese health concepts are also changing, creating a huge health care industry that needs nursing staff to be able to communicate with people, evaluate their condition and take primary measures before doctors arrive.

“Previously, we regarded health as curing people of illnesses, but now we regard it as a longer process tyhat take place outside of hospitals,” he said. “Actually in many countries, patients stay in hospital for short periods but spend a long time in rehabilitation, so we need nursing staff who are able to take the correct action independently.”

Shanghai will participate in the nursing contest in the WorldSkills Competition for the first time next year and host the game in 2021. 

“The WorldSkills Competition focuses on much more detail, including communication skills,” said Zhu.

There is a huge shortage of nursing staff in China with its aging population and high demand for care services.

“The shortage is more severe n nursing homes than in hospitals,” he said. “In China, public hospitals have a good reputation, so students graduating from medical school prefer them over other care-giving organizations.”

According to the national health authority, there was be more than 3.8 million registered nurses in China last year.  The country plans to increase the number of nurses to 4.5 million by 2020. Of Shanghai's 82,000 nurses, 64,000 are in hospitals. 

To cope with demand, the university now offers bachelor’s degree programs in nursing and health management.

Yang Meiping / SHINE

Yang Meiping / SHINE