Nurse
Nurses are trained in basic medical care, and preform the most patient care. They are capable of dealing with anything from a stubbed toe to a cardiac arrest, maintaining direction from the Medical Officers aboard the ship. A Nurse's job in relation to a patient is to monitor the patient, educate the patient, administer medications per orders and provide non-invasive procedures as ordered. They are more holistic than Medical Officers, emphasizing more about the healing as a whole than healing the body. They are advocates between the patients and the Medical Officers, often times translating the medical terms into more understandable terms. They may also assist the Medical Officers with any invasive procedure. Nurses report directly to the Head Nurse, but must follow any medical order given by a Medical Officer.
There are two main types of nurses. Nursing Officers and Enlisted Nurses. Nursing Officers have gone to Starfleet Academy or equivalent and studied Nursing for a full four years, along with basic officer training; whereas the Enlisted Nurse studies at the Starfleet Enlisted Academy or equivalent for either two years focusing on the same level of nursing with less management training or one year of less advanced nursing. Enlisted Nurses with two years experience quickly become Warrant Officers. Nursing Officers may go and get Advanced Training, such as a Masters of Science in Nursing, to allow them to go past the normal training of a Nursing Officer. It should be noted that there is no gender distinction in the title of Nurse.
It should be noted that Nurses also have a version of the Hippocratic Oath that they administer called the Nightingale Pledge.
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