Heritage Snapshot: Part 235

LOMA LINDA>> Staff from Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital in Hangzhou, China, have expressed appreciation for all of the personnel exchanges between the two countries that have taken place over more than 20 years, providing clinical experience under a variety circumstances. Loma Linda University Health has sent more than 750 people to China and Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital has sent more than 300 people to Loma Linda. According to Dr. Xie Scott, director of the Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital has an educational program in its clinical laboratory for approximately 30 or 40 students. While in Loma Linda, he copied a manual of protocols to be used in his clinical laboratory. One of the experiences that he said surprised him was his observation that employees in Loma Linda enjoy their work, whereas in Chinese hospitals employees often complain. SRRSH was designed for 32 clinical specialties. Its 1,300 beds accommodated in 40 nursing units are served by nine ancillary departments. The hospital has access to three research centers: Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital’s Clinical Research Institute, Zhejiang University’s Laparoscopic Research Institute and the Provincial Cancer Biotherapy Center. Some of the nurses returning to China from Loma Linda University Medical Center are typically excited. They say they experience something different in how Loma Linda nurses treat their patients more like a family membe and they share what they learn with their nursing colleagues back in China. Therefore, nurses at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital are different compared to nurses at other Chinese hospitals. Some nurses stay for a month and sometimes they stay for three months or even six, and learn from their experiences at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital. This program has placed SRRSH nursing in a leading position in the country. The China hospital is willing to give back and “to pay it forward” by helping Loma Linda train physicians and surgeons with proper credentials from other countries such as Afghanistan, Malaysia and Africa who cannot legally get hands-on, clinical experience in California. This collaboration also provides clinical experience for students from the various schools at Loma Linda University and resident physicians from Loma Linda University Medical Center. One practice that make SRRRH unique in China is its emphasis on patient information and privacy. Staff gives patients more information regarding diagnosis, treatments and medicines. Also, middle management and support personnel maintain a day-to-day positive relationship with the medical staff as they do whatever they can to support the clinical staff in providing the best patient care. To implement its management team philosophy to improve patient services, SRRSH employs a greater number of nurse managers than other Chinese hospitals. According to Dr. He, “They do a good job.” Seminars for visiting nurses, including nurse managers, nurse educators and nurse practitioners, have helped to improve patient care in hospitals throughout China. China is rapidly expanding and developing in all areas, socially, politically and economically, resulting in a greater attention to health from its citizens as well as its government. Health education services are increasing, and Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital plays an important role in the rapid development.