How can I represent nursery skills?

[AlexanderHowl]

It is important to remember though that general skills default to optional specialties at -2, so can a phlebotomist function as a physician or surgeon?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

It is important to remember though that general skills default to optional specialties at -2, so can a phlebotomist function as a physician or surgeon?

Obviously not. The training is very narrow. I might make it an Easy Skill with defaults to it from several other but no defaults from it.

Also note that it is affected by Manual Dexterity.

[cdru]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

It is important to remember though that general skills default to optional specialties at -2, so can a phlebotomist function as a physician or surgeon?

Yes in GURPS. Although unfamiliar procedures will give a further -2

[Celjabba]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

in my experience if you are having any bloodwork done, try to get the blood drawn by a nurse or phlebotomist … letting a doctor try usually leaves you with a nasty bruise and may cause all sorts of other problems.

I mostly agree, but like all rules, they are exceptions ...

The biggest bruise (and assorted problems) I ever got was in a bloodwork office, where you can usually expect the nurses (or technician ? not sure, it depend on the place, I guess) who do this 8 hours/day, 5 days a week to be good at it...
And the most painful was when I agreed to let nurse trainees practice drawing arterial blood on me during a stay in an university hospital. Three tried and painfully failed before the senior nurse took over and did it smoothly and painlessly.

On the other perforated arm, the smoothest ever was from a doctor during a 4 am visit to the emergency room for renal colic.
For some reason, there was a shortage of nurses, so once I was situated, the doctor on site not only ran the diagnostic but also hooked me up with the blessed drip and drew blood for testing. I was busy whimpering in pain and trying to follow the conversation in a language I am barely at the Gurps:broken level in but I honestly didn't notice her setting up the IV and drawing blood until she was finished.

In my unfortunately diverse experience, the best overall with needles are the anaesthesia crews.
I don't know if they are specialised anaesthesia nurses, operating theatre nurses, or anaesthesia interns, but as a rule, they will have you set up before you know it.

[AlexanderHowl]

Originally Posted by cdru

Yes in GURPS. Although unfamiliar procedures will give a further -2

Hm, where is that penalty listed?

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Obviously not. The training is very narrow. I might make it an Easy Skill with defaults to it from several other but no defaults from it.

Also note that it is affected by Manual Dexterity.

With how few I and my partner have had that were competent, I very much doubt it's an Easy skill. I think it's more than minor failures aren't life threatening. They can just try a few times before getting it right.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

With how few I and my partner have had that were competent, I very much doubt it's an Easy skill.

As Easy Skill still requires 200 hours with an instuctor to get at Attribute which is going to be 10 for an average human. "Professional" level is then a 12 whihch 4 cp for what's probably a 25 pt npc. Maybe 18 months to 2 years of On The Job Training.

[Ulzgoroth]

BioTech puts taking blood or tissue samples and inserting IVs under Physician (with +4 and +2 bonuses, respectively). I'm pretty sure I've only had my blood drawn by nurses or maybe occasionally doctors, but presumably the phlebotomy technicians who aren't medical caregivers have a different skill that covers the task.

Balance-wise even an Easy skill that draws blood at no modifier would be worse at the task for the points as Physician, which is a little awkward if one is designing a phlebotomist skill...

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

As Easy Skill still requires 200 hours with an instuctor to get at Attribute which is going to be 10 for an average human. "Professional" level is then a 12 whihch 4 cp for what's probably a 25 pt npc. Maybe 18 months to 2 years of On The Job Training.

Those training rules are neither intended nor suited for simulation.

[Pectus Solentis]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Hm, where is that penalty listed?

Listed at p.B169

[AlexanderHowl]

That only applies to skills for operating unfamiliar equipment, it has nothing to do with unfamiliar procedures.