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.

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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.

A path of resilience

Sun's path to nursing was anything but straightforward. Growing up in a small village in Heze, Shandong province, he faced setbacks early on when he failed both the regular college entrance exam, or gaokao, and the sports talent exam. His only option was vocational school, where he randomly selected a few majors, eventually landing in nursing.

"From unfamiliar to familiar, to developing a passion for this major, I've discovered that I'm well-suited for this job," Sun said.

After completing vocational school in 2020, Sun transitioned to undergraduate studies at Qinghai University before pursuing a master's degree at Lanzhou University.

According to him, the daily duties of nurses include providing critical care to patients in life-threatening situations, administering treatments like injections and blood transfusions, and attending to their personal needs.

"Nurses are responsible for managing every aspect of a patient's care and illness. With families unable to be present, nurses must stay by their side 24 hours a day," Sun explained. "In my view, ICU nurses not only provide medical care and monitoring but, more importantly, offer compassion and kindness to each patient."

The job can be particularly tough at times, especially when he sees a patient his age pass away. "It takes a toll mentally, but you can't immerse yourself in sadness forever. You still have a job to do and other patients to care for — you must carry on," Sun said.

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In addition to the physical and emotional demands of nursing, maintaining ICU diaries adds another layer of challenge.

Acknowledging that this task goes beyond his regular duties, Sun admitted that maintaining the diaries can be exhausting, often only finishing them after his shift ends. Nevertheless, he finds the effort worthwhile.

He recounted one particularly rewarding moment with an 11-year-old girl who had been unconscious for 56 days following a car accident. After she transitioned to a regular ward, Sun gave her the diary he had kept for her.

"As she and her father flipped through the diary, she said, 'Thank you, big brother.' At that moment, I felt that all the effort was truly meaningful," Sun shared.

As his clinical internship nears its end, Sun is preparing his dissertation and exploring job opportunities. He hopes to continue his ICU diary project if given the chance.

Following media coverage of his initiative, many people have expressed how his story has inspired them.

"I'm just an ordinary person doing his job. I've worked on construction sites and in restaurant kitchens. Each of these experiences is part of my journey, and I've learned a lot from every role," Sun said. "Once uncertain about my future, I have now found my path in nursing."