Narratives of care: ICU diaries

For 25-year-old Sun Guotao, nursing is more than just a profession — it's a calling to make a meaningful difference in patients' lives.

Sun, a graduate nursing student at Lanzhou University in Gansu province, is completing his clinical internship in the ICU at the First Hospital of Lanzhou University. Since last October, he has diligently kept 37 diary entries for his patients, documenting their journeys over weeks or even months.

Sun explained that most ICU patients are unconscious, incapable of caring for themselves. They may also undergo invasive procedures like tracheal intubation, and to prevent unplanned extubation, their hands are usually tied to the bed.