"The length of study was reduced from five years to four," said Liu, an active promoter of the reform and author/editor of five nursing textbooks. "The new curriculum setting focused on a combination of theory and practice. For example, courses on social sciences were introduced; some leading teaching ideas from the U.S. were adopted, which helped students gain a better understanding of nursing.

"To be honest, what we teach today is far different from what we were taught, because the role of a nurse has changed. We used to be a ‘doctor's assistant'; today, nursing is a specialty, as we reiterate on different occasions. However, the purpose of nursing -- serving patients better -- never changes."

Besides curriculum reform, international exchanges also play a key role.

"Bearing an open mind is extremely important, and blind copying won't help. We should learn ideas from other countries and then adapt them to our own reality," noted Liu, who frequently participates in international nursing conferences. She has been visiting scholar to many famous American nursing schools for more than ten years.

As the executive director, Liu is involved in China's first doctoral program in nursing, which was launched in 2004 in collaboration with the PUMC School of Nursing in Beijing and the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Baltimore. The program, funded by the China Medical Board, prepares Chinese nurses for careers in higher education in nursing, nursing research, and healthcare administration. The program's goal is to increase the number of doctoral-level nurses in China, and to develop a nationally recognized doctoral-level model for nursing education.

"We are aware of the gap between nursing in China and in the world, and collaborating with a famous international nursing school is an ideal way to save time," said Liu. "Students will have required coursework at PUMC; take additional courses and work with faculty co-advisors on their dissertation proposals and related publications at JHU; and then return to PUMC to conduct their China-based doctoral research."

In addition, two international nursing academic conferences held in Beijing in 2005 and 2007 respectively strengthened Liu's confidence.

"In the past, we often invited renowned experts and professors to give lectures or training, but seldom showcased our own development," she added. "I was eager to get our voice heard during my visits abroad.

"We need a platform to communicate with other countries, because nursing in China cannot develop without knowing the world. The success of the conferences can be attributed to the joint effort of many nursing-related parties."

Liu, also the Vice President of the Chinese Nursing Association, continued, "It opens a window for many nurses who have not been abroad yet. The more they know about nursing in other countries the bigger their confidence, because many problems they suffer, such as gender imbalance, shortage of human resources, and so forth, are shared by their counterparts. It also provides open discussion and solutions to address the global problems. We will push forward continuously."

Her efforts have paid off. The doctorate program is running smoothly; the first batch of students, five females enrolled in 2005, is about to finish the three-year program.

"They will return to the universities they came from and do research work after graduation. They will become leaders in the discipline," she said.

Moreover, Liu's book on Olympic first-aid received a warm welcome from nursing professionals, and will help to improve medical services during the coming Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"The fellowship at the American Academy of Nursing is not a personal honor. It is an acknowledgement of our country, the development of nursing, and more than 1.3 million Chinese nurses," said Liu, the first of the three international inductees into the American Academy of Nursing fellowship, in the Academy's 34-year history.

"There are many challenges ahead: for example, how to recruit more male nurses; how to use human resources more effectively; how to push forward theoretical research and cooperation between institutions; how to provide insight and promising solutions for policy-maker; and so forth. We have to work harder to keep pace with the times," said Liu.