Nurses The physicians in a hospital form. the core of the medical staff. But they could not provide effective medical care to their patients without the help of numerous other medical workers. From the angle of the patients, the nursing staff is particularly important. Nurses are usually in close contact with patients as long as they are in the hospital. A nurse does not study for as many years as a doctor. However, each must be equally trained. Caring for sick persons requires a great deal of patience and concern. Most nurses work long days, and they often must work at odd hours or during the night. The nursing staff in a hospital is usually quite large and various. Nursing services, after all, must be provided on a 24-hour basis. There are professional(专业的) nurses, practical nurses ,nurse's aids, and orderlies(勤杂工). The general term nurse refers to a person trained to offer bedside care to sick persons. Under the supervision(管理) of the head nurse, the nursing staff in a hospital ward must attend to patients' needs. This responsibility continues around the clock, and so nurses must work in shifts. A shift is a period of duty, usually eight hours in length. The nurses on the ward rotate(轮换) their shifts. Some take turns working night duty; other work odd shifts. All of them work out of a central area on the ward called the nurse's station. A nurse must always be on her guard. She can never afford to be careless. This is true in all nursing situations, but it is especially true in the intensive care unit. Patients under intensive care are critically ill, and they must be monitored at all times. The nurses who do intensive care duty have one of the most demanding jobs in the hospital. The physicians in a hospital are less important than the nursing staff.