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.

"They are in a state of confusion, unable to distinguish between day and night. When they regain consciousness, they might feel disoriented," Sun said.

This is what inspired Sun to initially start his "special project". He believes a diary helps patients make sense of their recovery process and provides comfort, easing their fears and anxieties.

"By understanding the challenges they've overcome, patients can develop a more positive outlook on life and feel motivated to reintegrate into society," he said.

In these diaries, Sun records significant milestones of his patients — whether uplifting, like "you woke up today", or critical moments during touch-and-go situations — and includes heartwarming instances, such as family visits. To make the diaries more personal, Sun also takes photos, prints them, and glues them into the diary.