Traveling with the occupational health nurses in China: a perspective today.

Abstract

Focus in this report of a group tour of occupational health nurses from the US to China and the Philippines in May 1982 is on the visit to Shanghai, Soochow, Peking, and Manila. The trip was designed to develop a professional exchange between the 2 countries and to obtain continuing education units in Occupational Health Nursing. It was an opportunity for the US nurses to personally meet professional associates. Advance reading material was mailed to each tour participant for review prior to the trip. Focusing on the contrasting health delivery care system in China, emphasis was on the traditional and nontraditional treatment methods. Activities such as acupuncture, acupressure, and use of herbs and nontraditional medications were described. Health care in urban and rural areas is contrasted for variances. At this time the treatment theory and practice of psychology in the Western world is being challenged by concepts from other disciplines. Critics of the US model claim that it is culture bound with the disease oriented model rather than the new therapies with the preventive and holistic concept, the body mind integration, and the assumption of responsibility for oneself and the events which occur in one's life. During the tour of Shanghai a visit to the Commune provided an opportunity to experience the agricultural, industrial, and medical environment of that community population. The barefoot doctors today number 1 million and are formally trained in some Western methods. These doctors, usually women have received formal training, generally serve in the community in which they were trained and concentrate on prevention, counseling, and treatment of common disorders. The practice of the barefoot doctor involves counseling in birth control and on the need for birth control and refilling some prescriptions and pelvic reexaminations. As a result of the Commune tour it was evident that Chinese nurses in their Commune hospitals are involved in the total care plan of Commune operations but are not involved in occupational health nursing. The tour group met with the public health and occupational health nurses at the Philippine Nurses Association headquarters buildling. 100,000 registered nurses are spread out over 7000 islands. The occupational health nurses are required by the government to update their education. The Philippine Occupational Health Nurses Association conducts an aggressive educational program with meetings and seminars. Standards of practice for the occupational health nurse are not yet developed, but it is a goal which they expect to accomplish.