China: Air hostess uniforms for hospital nurses

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-27468490

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A hospital in China's Jiangsu province seems to be asking its nurses to work in air hostess uniforms.

Twelve nurses from the Lianshui Huaian Hospital of Chinese Medicine were given a month's training by a real air hostess and are now wearing the outfits when they treat patients, says the Yangtse Evening Post. A hospital spokeswoman says the uniforms have slightly longer skirts for reasons that "everybody understands", and the nurses who wear air hostess uniforms get paid more than the other nurses - but take on a heavier workload.

Some nurses say the new uniform has changed their lifestyles. Zhao Yanan tells the paper she's now sleeping two hours earlier so she looks better in the morning, while another says she avoids fatty foods because she's more aware of her figure. But there's been a mixed reaction among patients, the Want China Times reports. Some say the outfits "brighten up the hospital" but others worry it's a gimmick that detracts from the quality of nursing care.

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