On a hot summer day in Jinan, Shandong province, 87-year-old Wang, who lives alone in Lixia district, expressed her distress over a broken air conditioner that had left her feeling anxious and physically unwell. Cao Yingjuan, director of the nursing department at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, offered both medical advice and emotional support during her visit, highlighting the work of the hospital’s Nightingale nursing service volunteer team.
Founded in 2011 and currently led by Cao, the team has grown to include 12 specialty divisions covering areas such as organ transplantation and emergency rescue. Their services extend beyond elderly residents, also supporting children with autism, patients with chronic illnesses, people with disabilities, and children in welfare homes. While the team primarily operates across Shandong’s 16 major cities, their outreach has also reached remote locations in Qingjian county, Shaanxi province, and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
Cao, who has worked in various hospital departments since graduating from nursing school in 1991, emphasizes empathy as central to nursing. Her commitment deepened following a personal loss in 2016 when her nephew died and she witnessed her sister and brother-in-law grapple with profound grief. This experience motivated her to focus on the psychological needs of empty-nest seniors—elderly individuals living alone or bereft of family support.
Through regular home visits, Cao and her volunteer team provide companionship and emotional care to seniors like Yang, 73, who lost her husband and elder son and had withdrawn socially. After repeated visits, Yang has gradually reengaged with her community and now volunteers with the team herself.
The program has developed a psychological support model tailored to older adults, helping guide many from isolation towards participation in neighborhood activities, gradually easing depression and loneliness. Cao underscored the importance of addressing mental health among the elderly alongside increasing attention to adolescent emotional well-being.
Since 2025, the team has collaborated with the Baotuquan subdistrict office to establish a medical-network partnership, pairing community workers with specialist nurses. These partnerships provide dedicated health support to solitary elderly residents.
Looking ahead, the team plans to incorporate an online artificial intelligence therapy system to assist in psychological counseling. Emergency rescue training is another significant element of their work; the establishment of a life education base at Qilu Hospital in May 2025 introduced a 400-square-meter facility equipped with AI-powered teaching systems for customized first-aid courses. To date, 175 rescue instructors and more than 2,350 certified rescuers have been trained.
Wang Wenjun, head nurse of the hospital’s emergency department and a 15-year volunteer, noted the satisfaction in seeing everyday citizens gain first-aid skills. The team offers standardized first-aid courses tailored for children and has expanded training efforts to rural and elderly populations.
Cao described volunteering as a mutually beneficial endeavor, where those who give care also experience healing by feeling needed. Beyond regional activities, she has helped medical institutions in Tanzania, Pakistan, and other countries develop targeted assistance programs through the coordination of Shandong University.
For Cao, medical care transcends hospital wards; it is found in everyday acts of empathy and attention, whether at the bedside or through visits to elderly individuals waiting quietly by their windows for companionship and support.