Chapter 17 — The White Coat Oath

Two weeks after that meaningful conversation, a complicated case became the first real test for the entire reform system that Yen, Khoa and the whole team had worked so hard to build. A serious traffic accident occurred right before shift change, bringing five patients to the Emergency Department at the same time, of which three were critical cases requiring emergency surgical intervention.

Yen, in the final hours of her shift, faced an unprecedented situation since the new system was applied - having to decide whether to continue working beyond the prescribed hours or hand over everything to the next shift amid an extremely tense situation.

"According to the new process, I have to hand over on time," Yen said to Khoa, who had just been called down to assist, her voice filled with hesitation. "But I'm worried that handing over in the middle like this will cause the next doctor to waste time grasping the situation, when every second is precious for these patients."

Khoa thought quickly, remembering the lesson from Dr. Phat's incident. "This is exactly the situation the new system is designed to handle. You have confidence in the standardized handover process we have established. I will help ensure the transition is as smooth as possible."

Yen nodded, deciding to trust the system that she helped build. She quickly completed the detailed handover according to the checklist to the doctor on the next shift, ensuring not to miss any important information about each patient's condition.

Thanks to that clear and transparent process, the new shift quickly grasped the situation and continued to handle it effectively without any dangerous information gaps. All three critically ill patients were transferred to the operating room promptly and the surgery was successful.

The next morning, when Yen returned to the hospital after a mandatory break according to new regulations, she received good news - all five patients in the accident were out of danger and their condition gradually stabilized.

During the post-shift lessons learned meeting, the whole team sat down to analyze each step of the handover process, not to find errors but to note points that could be improved further. Nghia showed the entire event timeline, from reception until the final surgery is completed, clearly marking each handover milestone with different colors on the chart.

"Look here," Nghia said, pointing to a short period of time highlighted in yellow, "this is the only time there was a slight delay, but still within the safety threshold. Compared to what I saw before the new system, this is almost a perfect operation."

Yen nodded, jotting down a few small notes in her familiar notebook. "I think we should add a voice confirmation step along with the paper checklist, to avoid the case of someone skimming and missing important details in a rush."

"Good idea," Khoa replied, recording the proposal in the meeting minutes. "We will test this adjustment in the next pilot, then reassess the effectiveness after a month of application."

"The new system has proven its value," Dr. Dung told Yen during the morning briefing, unable to hide his satisfaction. "If it was before, I probably would have tried to work too hard while exhausted, greatly increasing the risk of errors."

"I also realize that, teacher," Yen replied, clearly feeling the correctness of what she and Khoa had built together. "Trust in the process, in teammates, is sometimes as important as personal determination."

News of the successful treatment of the traffic accident quickly spread throughout the hospital, becoming the most vivid proof of the effectiveness of the reform project. Associate Professor Truong, upon hearing the report, could not hide its pride as it presented the whole story at the board meeting that month.

"This is the most convincing evidence we need," he told the full council, "that the reform project is more than just numbers on paper, but actually has a positive, concrete impact on saving lives."

The Board of Directors, after carefully reviewing reports and specific evidence, officially approved the decision to expand the reform model to all remaining departments of the hospital within the next six months.

That news quickly spread throughout the hospital, bringing with it a rare wave of excitement among the entire medical team. Many other faculties began to proactively contact Yen, Khoa and Nghia to learn about implementation experiences, hoping to apply the model as soon as possible.

"I can't believe it, in just a few months, we went from a preliminary idea to a hospital-wide policy," Nghia said, his voice full of excitement as he announced the good news to the group over the phone. "It feels like a dream."

"This is a worthy result for all the efforts we have put in," Khoa replied, unable to hide his pride. "From the sleepless nights gathering data, to convincing the board, it all paid off."

Yen also contributed, her voice filled with emotion. "What makes me happiest is not that the project was approved, but knowing that, from now on, thousands of other patients will benefit from a safer, more humane system."

That evening, Khoa took Yen to a small riverside restaurant, a romantic setting with sparkling candlelight, different from the usual hurried dates between both of their busy schedules.

"Is there a special occasion today?" Yen asked, unable to hide her curiosity at that unusually thoughtful preparation.

Khoa smiled, did not answer immediately, just signaled her to look out at the river sparkling with city lights reflecting on the water. "I just want to have a special evening with you, after everything we've been through and achieved together."

Yen smiled, held Khoa's hand tightly across the dining table, clearly feeling a warmth and complete happiness spreading throughout her body, not knowing that this was just the beginning of an evening that would bring many more surprises.

During the meal, Khoa told Yen about the positive feedback his father received from other departments and about the plan to expand the reform project to the entire hospital in the near future. Yen listened attentively, her eyes sparkling with pride at the achievements they both contributed to creating together.

"You know," Yen said, setting down a glass of non-alcoholic wine on the table, "sometimes I still can't believe that from just one controversial shift, we've been able to go this far — not just in our own relationship, but in changing a large system."

"Me too," Khoa replied, his eyes gently looking at her through the flickering candlelight. "And I believe, this is just the beginning of many other great things we will achieve together in the future."

The waiter approached, carrying the special dessert that Khoa had told him in advance, a small, delicately decorated cake with words written in melted chocolate on top: "Yen, will you accompany me forever?"

Yen paused, her heart pounding as she read those words, looking up at Khoa with eyes full of emotion. At some point, Khoa stood up, knelt down on one knee next to the table, his hands trembling as he opened the small box containing the sparkling ring.

"Yen," he said, his voice choked with emotion but still steadfast, "from my first controversial shift until today, you have taught me so many things — about courage, about sincerity, about the true meaning of the oath we took together when entering the medical profession. I want to spend the rest of my life continuing to write that story with you. Do you agree to be my wife?"

Happy tears rolled down Yen's cheeks, she nodded repeatedly, speechless for a moment before finally blurting out an answer. "Yes! I agree, Khoa!"

The whole small restaurant echoed with congratulatory applause from the surrounding diners, who had quietly watched that romantic moment from the beginning. Khoa stood up, put the ring on Yen's finger, then hugged her in bursts of happiness.

"Thank you for saying yes," he whispered in her ear, his voice still shaking with emotion.

"Thank you for asking," Yen replied, leaning her head on his shoulder, clearly feeling her heart pounding in her chest, filled with a complete happiness that she had never dared to dream of when she started her tumultuous journey.