Author: Yang Bingxiang, Liu Qian, Luo Dan

Translated by: Zhu Tong, Wu Xia

On April 29th, The Lancet Global Health (IF:15.873) published an online article entitled The Experiences of Health-care Providers during the COVID-19 Crisis in China: A Qualitative Study. This important study is completed by the research team of mental and psychological health from the School of Health Sciences, Wuhan University.

Liu Qian and Luo Dan, who are both lecturers from the Nursing Department, are the two co-first authors, and corresponding authors of the article are Yang Bingxiang, assistant professor of the Nursing Department as well as Population and Health Research Center, and Prof. Yang Jiong from the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University. The research team also includes Prof. Liu Zhongchun from Mental Health Center of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Dr. Wang Xiaoqin from School of Health Sciences of WHU, and Dr. Guo Qiaohong from School of Nursing, Capital Medical University.

Through interviews with 13 medical workers who were fighting against COVID-19 on the front line in Hubei Province, this article illustrates the epidemic battle experience of these local medical workers in the early outbreak. Before the support from the country to Hubei Province, the local medical system in Hubei were facing great challenges. As many medical stuff lack working experience in the infectious disease department or respiratory department, they needed to quickly adapt to the new work environment and cooperated efficiently with the new team. In dealing with the novel coronavirus, they should not only solve the professional burden but also overcome the physical and mental challenges, and undertake the possible risk of their and their families being infected. However, they didn’t escape away by the crisis but stick to their original belief to offer medical assistance. Through self-adjustment and supports from various social forces, they tried their best to adapt to current working condition and contributed their own strength to win the pandemic battle. This article points out that medical workers are the dominant force of fighting against COVID-19. In order to keep the safety of medical staff and provide high-quality medical care and treatment, a comprehensive supporting system is very important, which includes personnel deployment, supplies of protective materials, intensive training, continuous infectious prevention and control in hospitals, and necessary psychological care.

It is the first time for the nursing discipline of our university to have an article published in the related journals of The Lancet, and this article is the great breakthrough in the field of humanities and social sciences. Meanwhile, The Lancet Global Health published a review of this article by Associate Professor Peng Lingli and her team, from Orthopedics of Xiangya Hospital Central South University.

Article link:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(20)30204-7/fulltext