Gong Lin, ER nurse

Gong comes from Liaoning province and has worked in the ER for three years. The staff is divided into four groups, each working alternating shifts from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm one day, followed by night duty from 4:00 pm to 8:00 am the next, before taking a day off.

"We're so busy that we hardly even have a chance to visit the bathroom," she said. All the staff wear white, flat-heeled shoes to alleviate the stress of standing for long periods. Even so, the skin of her legs was puffy.

Even on a night shift, Liu wore beautifully elegant makeup. "It's crazy working here in the ER. I'm so proud of it and want to do my best. Physicians witness the beginnings of life and we have a lot of opportunities to see that miracle."

Liu Ying, director of the department of cardiology

At 9:00 pm, Liu drove to the hospital to perform surgery on Yang Gang, who had had a heart attack. However, before Yang, she operated on a patient in the thoracic surgery department. Liu had been expecting to spend the evening at home, enjoying dinner and TV with her husband. "It is normal for doctors. We should be ready 24 hours a day and should never turn off our mobile phones," she said.

 

Xi Weiwei, security guard

Although Xi has only worked at the hospital for a little more than a year, he has already been appointed leader of a security team. In recent months, doctors have been assaulted by patients, and the hospital has equipped the guards with helmets and bulletproof vests.

Xi said the ER is the most dangerous department in the hospital. Its 24-hour working period increases the risk of drunken patients arriving and urgent cases can often result in disputes with family members.

The guards offer round-the-clock protection to the physicians and are required to arrive within two minutes of an incident starting. Most problems are resolved through communication, not confrontation and when asked how, Xi smiled and pointed to his head. "With this," he said.