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Professional occupations

You may occasionally come across a profession that you don’t really know. On this page we briefly explain various occupations.

Professional occupations

Anesthesiologist

During operations it is the anesthesiologist who is responsible for the anesthetic, also known as sedative. They also monitor your heart rate and breathing during surgery.

Ward assistant

Ward assistants support the nurses on the wards with household tasks. They also manage and order stock items.

Department secretary

You can contact the department secretary for questions regarding outpatient clinic appointments, forms, or other matters.

Medical intern

A medical intern is a medical student who works in the hospital to gain practical experience. A medical intern often joins the attending physician during physician rounds as an observer. A medical intern may perform physical examinations. Please indicate if you would prefer this not be done by an intern. We will respect your wishes and make a note of this in your medical records so that we can keep this in mind.

Dietician

The dietician makes sure you get the food you need to get healthy again.

Physiotherapist

Someone who does physical exercises with you to strengthen your muscles and make your joints work better.

Medical specialist

A medical specialist is a physician who is specialized in a certain medical field. In addition to treating patients, they train, supervise, and provide support to residents.

X-ray technician

Someone who takes special photos of the inside of the body using X-rays.

Transfer nurse

The transfer nurse identifies the care needed after your discharge from the hospital. The transfer nurse arranges the aftercare and is the contact person for regional institutions regarding transfers.

Nurse

The nurse is responsible for nursing care. The nurse will help you, where necessary, to shower, get dressed, etc. He/she takes your temperature and blood pressure, and also administers medication. Erasmus MC is a teaching hospital, which means that certain tasks may also be performed by student nurses. They are always supervised by a qualified nurse.

Nurse consultant

A nurse consultant is a specialist nurse with specific expertise, knowledge, and experience in a particular specialism. She provides patients with information and counsels them.

Specialist nurse

A specialist nurse performs certain medical tasks independently. A specialist nurse works at the interface between nursing and medicine.

Nutrition assistant

Nutrition assistants serve patients beverages, meals, and snacks. They also provide the forms to order your meals and make a note of any necessary dietary changes.

Care assistant

The care assistant helps nurses to nurse the patients and they manage and order medicines.