Unlicensed helpers lending a hand

A typical day in the life of an unqualified nursing assistant

Location: A single room at a public hospital in Chongqing

Nursing assistant: Lang Xuelin, 41.

Patient: A 71-year-old man who has undergone stomach surgery

Daily salary: 85 yuan ($13.7)

5:20 am: Wake the patient for a blood test.

5:30 am: Lang's breakfast; a steamed bun (1 yuan from the hospital canteen).

6 am: Wash the patient's face and hands and help him rinse his month.

6:30 am: Feed the patient with a liquid diet.

7 am: Assist nurses with a number of daily tests, including temperature, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.

8 am: Remind the patient to take his medicine.

8:30 am: Empty the urine bag and clean the bedpan, if dirty.

9 am: Pat the patient's back for 20 minutes, to help him cough to prevent lung infection, and clean up the sputum.

9:30 am-11:30 am: Waits to call the nurse when IV liquid needs replacing; stands by in case the patient needs water, food or other items. Lang watches TV or reads the newspaper in his free time.

11:30 am: Lang's lunch; usually rice and fried pork prepared at home.

12 pm: Feed patient and help him take his medicine.

1 pm: Empty the urine bag and help the patient lie down for a nap.

1:30-3:30 pm: Smoking break and short nap.

3:30 pm: Wake the patient for another round of patting and coughing.

4-6 pm: Assist the patient in turning over every 30 minutes to prevent bedsores.

6 pm: Patient's dinner, followed by another dose of medicine.

7 pm: Help the nurses with pre-bed tests, including temperature, blood pressure and blood sugars.

8 pm: Perform full-body sponge bath on patient before he sleeps.

9 pm: Empty patient's urine bag and then sleep.

9:30 pm-following morning: Lang gets some broken sleep, but has to wake frequently to replace bed covers, moisten the patient's lips with a wet swab, inspect drips, etc, to ensure the patient hasn't dislodged them in his sleep.