Đặng Thị Lệ Hằng, a nursing assistant, cares for a patient at the Skin Treatment Department in Đà Nẵng Dermatology Hospital in central Đà Nẵng City. — Photo suckhoedoisong.vn

ĐÀ NẴNG — Đặng Thị Lệ Hằng, a nursing assistant at the Skin Treatment Department of Đà Nẵng Dermatology Hospital in the central Đà Nẵng City, always starts her job at 6am every day, come rain or shine.

You will find her busy fulfilling a wide range of tasks like cleaning up the department’s hallway, treatment areas and patient rooms; changing blankets, pillows and hospital gowns for patients and collecting medical waste.

These tasks must be completed before doctors start to examine patients.

Hằng told to Sức khỏe &Đời sống (Health&Life) online newspaper that she has been working as a nursing assistant for 15 years and is currently the only one in her department.

“Although the job does not require high qualifications, people need to be a hard-working, well-organised and not afraid of hardships to match with this job.

“I have to make efforts every day to complete my job, keeping all things are clean and hygienic.”

Additionally, she always strives to complete every assigned task with professionalism and speed.

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, she complied with her superiors' orders and participated in serving COVID-infected kidney patients in a dormitory in the west of the city for many days.

High risk of infection

A nursing assistant is not only hardworking but also facing a high risk of infection when being exposed to patient secretions.

She said the department was treating for more than 50 patients with psoriasis, tinea versicolor, ringworm, shingles, urticaria and allergies every day.

She is always aware of protecting and preventing herself from infection as she regularly comes into contact with waste, medical samples and infectious patients.

“However, I always treat patients as my relatives,” she said.

She still remembered a patient with an infectious disease who had no relatives to care for many years ago, and she was the only "relative" to help the patient during the patient’s treatment days.

"When a patient is discharged from the hospital in good condition and offers me sincere thanks, this is a great encouragement for me to continue my profession,” she said.

In addition to taking care of patients, she and her colleagues in the nursing assistant team of the hospital also tidy up the hospital’s campus everyday by watering and caring the flower gardens and ornamental plants.

Shining flower

She was one of 20 medical staff, honoured in the "White Blouse Shine" Award 2023 as shining flowers, for her dedication to her work.

Last Wednesday, the city’s Health Department announced that Chairman of the People's Committee of the city signed Decision No. 348/QĐ-UBND, approving the list of medical staff being honoured in the "White Blouse Shine" Award 2023.

The annually award has been organised by the People's Committee since 2012.

The award with the aim of honouring examples of good people and good deeds in performing medical examination and treatment tasks, thereby arousing the spirit of “a good doctor is like an affectionate mother” in every individual working in the health sector of the city.

This is a title given in the medical field, but it is not an award for expertise, academic titles or degrees, but an award for the medical ethics of those who directly care for the health of patients and being typical in patient service spirit and attitude.

Those are people who have very-ordinary-but-noble actions such as donating blood to patients when needed; giving care for patients' wounds and ulcers; conducting test samples of Ebola and COVID-19 patients without fear of endangering their life; or giving care for mental patients. — VNS