BEIJING - China will have over 4.45 million registered nurses by 2020, according to the National Health Commission (NHC) Thursday.

As of the end of 2017, China had more than 3.8 million registered nurses, up 126.5 percent from 2008, said Jiao Yahui, an official with the commission, at a press conference.

"With quality nursing services covering all three levels of hospitals now, the focus of services is switching from assistant treatment to meeting the physical and mental health requirements of the patients," she said.

"Next, the NHC will put more effort into tasks including expanding the content of nursing majors, and strengthening the ranks of nurses in charge of elderly care services, to serve the people's health throughout their whole lives," Jiao said.

This year's International Nurses Day falls Saturday.