Sub-Lieutenant Nicole Spivey, HMCS Nanaimo’s Physician Assistant
“Is the Doc in here?” asks a member of the ship’s company as they poke their head into the wardroom.
The Doc is in.
Sub-Lieutenant (SLt) Nicole Spivey, HMCS Nanaimo’s Physician Assistant, or Doc as she is known, waves the person in. Nanaimo’s Doc is a former Medical Technician of 13 years who commissioned as a Physician Assistant in January 2020 after completing her training.
The patient takes a seat while SLt Spivey does a quick examination of what ails: a bump to the head, but it’s not too bad. A quick clean of the wound, a couple Band-Aids, and a few encouraging words and the patient is good to go. Today, it’s a minor head wound; tomorrow, who can say.
The medical needs of a ship’s company can be vast, varied, and as complex as the human beings on board. The relationship that forms between individual members and the specialists on board who nurture their welfare is unlike any other, especially with the person who provides medical care…read more in CFB Esquimalt Lookout Navy News.