Many of the Chapter 2 AzNA nurses joined other members of the Az Nurse's Association in responding to the call, in November, initiated by the Chinese Ministry of Health, for an information and cultural exchange between Chinese and American Nurses. Dr. Rose Gerber, past president of Chapter 2, was the Delegation Leader, strongly supported by Carol Stevens, from the State Board of Nursing in Phoenix, as Co-Leader. Thank you Rose and Carol!

Delegation members participating were Janet Alford, Mary Bishop, Maureen Bouchard, Becky Brogan, Robin Burgeson, Toni Cantrell, Toni Carter, Lori Catron, Claudia Converse, Dolora Cotter, Sharon Davids, Mary Donnelly, Denise Ehrier, Esamael Funk, Mary Jo Gagan, Lois Gage, Sharon Gleason, Karyn Gotthardt, Patricia Harris, Eileen Harrison, Annette Hasten, Helen Hess, Ann Hilt-Garro, Nancy Janssen, Glenda Lawrimore, Ann Maier, Joan Malone, Monica Masci, Stephanie May-Garcia, Shari McCormick, Dianne Mofford, Madeleine Pierson, Kay Rich, Annette Rick,Tedi Ross-Smith, Marilyn Russell, Shelley Russell, Donna Shay, Donna Tachoir, Sandra Ulich, Karen Wolf, Barbara Wright, and Mary Young.

There were many opportunities for Educational and Cultural exchanges and Shopping! Our discussions with professional colleagues revealed that nurses in China face many of the same challenges as nurses in America.

Some of the professional visits in Beijing were to a long -term rehabilitation hospital with 180 beds and 15 satellite clinics which combined western and traditional Chinese methods of treatment, a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospital with 200 beds, a Health Hospital for women and Children serving 101,000 families in their rural area, and a lively visit to a vocational nursing school headed by Dr. Cheng Shu Xin, M.D.

Xi'an visits included interaction with a TCM care system research group which uses external treatments for internal problems. TCM products developed there are believed to strengthen the

body's resistance, eliminate pathogenic factors, balance Yin and Yang, and to regulate Qi and blood. DaMing Gong Hospital was also visited, which specializes in orthopedics, trauma, and obstetrics. The massage/acupuncture treatment area was toured. The People's Hospital which was toured had 769 beds and handles 2,000 outpatients. Nurses' (average age is 36) have educational preparation including BSN, associate degree, diploma, and several older nurses with no formal training. (Many interesting facts were discovered, for eg. 30% of OBS deliveries are by caesarean section; all shifts are 8 hours with no shift differentials; there is no nursing shortage; pay is approximately $300-400 US per month; new law in 1996 requires all nurses to be licensed by examination for new grads, and re-licensed every 2 years providing they have 15 hours of CEUs.

In Guilin we visited the Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University and were divided into clinical interest groups. The hospital has 700 beds, 29 departments, 900 employees (400 being nurses) and no elevators or heat (we walked up 7 floors to unheated rooms). Included were visits to a 30-bed pediatric unit, newborn nursery, neonatal intensive care unit , adolescent area, emergency department, 1 - room intensive care unit, and the medical-surgical unit with its 8 specialty departments. (A full written report of all these interesting activities can be requested from delegation members)