MONROE — Monroe Clinic welcomed a visiting nurse, Yu Lan, Oct. 23 as a part of a nursing exchange program. Lan is spending a month and a half in the Madison region to experience both urban and rural healthcare. Specifically, she is observing similarities and differences, how nursing work is done, rules in nursing and ways to improve care.

She traveled here from Shanghai, China, where she is a registered nurse in the Geriatric Department at Ruijin Hospital and pursuing her master’s degree of nursing. The Ruijin Hospital is one of 10 hospitals in the Jioatong University School of Medicine with 1,600 beds and over 3,445 staff members. 

During her morning at Monroe Clinic, Lan had the opportunity to meet with various departments and toured areas of the hospital, such as Inpatient, ICU, Surgical Procedure Center and Emergency Department. 

“While our healthcare systems and insurance are not the same, China and the United States share the same goals for helping others and providing a safe environment for patients,” said Lan. 

So far during her trip, Lan has enjoyed trying different types of cheese and watching football. Along with spending time at Monroe Clinic, Lan is attending classes at the University of Wisconsin School of Nursing, participating in research meetings and shadowing at other area hospitals.