Posted by Brandon Irvine in Specification Review: Nightingale-class Cruiser (Medical) - Review OPEN Until August 10, 2020
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The primary goal of the Nightingale was to provide a detailed mobile medical facility for onsite treatment and for transport. As such, it includes three methods of loading wounded onto the ship. First is the trusty standby; the transporter. Second is a pair of medically equipped Longevity-class runabouts. These support craft serve to ferry wounded between the field and the vessel, and to extend the potential treatment range. The third is the ability of the Nightingale to land the ship, thus bringing the hospital directly to ground-based wounded. Combined, these three methods should allow the Nightingale, like the McCoy before it, to successfully reach almost any potentially wounded personnel in any situation.

Not certain about the universal application of “wounded” in this paragraph. While it will almost always be accurate, it’s not necessarily correct to label those afflicted by sickness as “wounded”. The one in the last sentence I can live with, but the first three I would change to “patients”.

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Science Laboratories

Besides the med labs in the medical centre, the Nightingale hosts 16 science labs. 8 generic (Bio/Chem/Physics) labs are located on Deck 7 and easily modified depending on the mission parameters. The Chief Science Officer’s office is attached to this bank of labs. The further 8 labs serve as specialised areas with Astrometrics, Stellar Cartography, Geological Studies and Archaeology and others easily adaptable per the mission requirements are found on Deck 8.

All laboratories are capable of supporting a variety of environments, temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Celsius to 98 degrees Celsius, and providing over a dozen different possible atmospheres.

Pure curiosity here: why 98C on the high end instead of an even 100?

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CREW SUPPORT SYSTEMS

Medical Center

“Well Bones, do the new medical facilities meet with your approval?” ~ Kirk
“They do not. It’s like working in a damn computer centre” ~ McCoy (Star Trek: TMP)

The Nightingale sports two main Medical Suites rather than the standard ship sickbay facilities. It also has the ability to create more emergency clinic space should the need arise and dependant on the mission.

The Primary Medical Suite (Primary Sickbay) is situated on Decks 5 and 6.
It features two access points (port and stern) with aseptic entry lobbies, central controlled section isolation doors and is equipped with holo-emitters for the usage of the Medical Hologram System.

The Primary Medical Suite is equipped with biohazard support, radiation treatment wards, surgical ward, critical care, null-gravity treatment, isolation suites, three dedicated surgical suites and six biobeds in the adjacent surgical intensive care area.

The main ICU of 8 biobeds, and four completely quarantined units, capable of supporting class M or K environments, temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Celsius to 98 degrees Celsius, and providing over a dozen different possible atmospheres.

The Convalescent/Recovery Ward of 10 biobeds is also located here.

The Primary Suite includes the Chief of Staff’s Office, and a medical staff ready room alongside their small personal laboratory, the Head Nurses Rffice and nursing station alongside a Reception Centre/Waiting Area and four standard biobeds. It also hosts an obstetrics area.

That should be Head Nurses Office.

The Deck 6 area hosts a Dental suite to round out the Primary Medical Centre. Also adjacent are extensive medical research, biochemical and analysis labs.

Psychiatry Offices are also located on Deck 6 to create a more comprehensive medical treatment environment.

So actual medicine is on the main floor, and Dental and Psychiatry are in the basement?

Both the Dental Suite and Psychiatry Offices are equipped with RH (Reception Hologram) crew, programmed for their respective environments. (ALBERT for Dental and HARLEEN for Psychiatry). They are programmed with emergency first aid in their respective areas and triage abilities.

Do the RH names need to be repeated here?

The Secondary Medical Suite is on Deck E.

It houses the Assistant Medical Officer’s Office and provides a larger primary care area (15 biobeds), another two dedicated emergency surgical suites, and six biobeds in the adjacent surgical care area. The Morgue and Cryogenic Stasis labs also are located in this area.

Finally, the Secondary suite has a physical therapy section complete with gym and therapeutic baths.

The walls of all medical dedicated areas are decorated with an atypical palette outside of the Starfleet issue blue and grey combination

As in all medical class ships all sickbay facilities use independent environmental systems to eliminate the risk of ship-wide contamination.

Medical areas further detailed (Both, Primary [P] and Secondary [S])

Convalescence/ Recovery Ward [P]
This area is for patients who have received treatment, or require overnight treatment and/or monitoring. This is also where non-critical patients are placed after surgery. It includes 10 biobeds with overhead monitors, sanitized pillows and sheets for each bed, one replicator, and a supply storage cabinet close by.

Primary Care Unit [Both]
This area is for general treatment including basic injury, common diseases, and anything else that doesn’t look to be particularly life-threatening or contagious. Primary Sickbay includes 15 scanning biobeds, Secondary Sickbay includes 8.

Intensive Care Unit / Surgical Intensive Care Unit [Both]
Each biobed is rigged for continuous 3-dimensional scanning and monitoring of the patient. It includes a computer link-up to an alarm system programmed to react and respond to the patient’s life-signs with adjustable acceptable parameters. An unstable reading or life sign will result in a “Code Blue” alarm and engage code blue protocols. At this time the computer will auto engage digital resuscitation and life support until a medical officer is present. If one does not respond within an acceptable time frame, normally 3 minutes the EMH programme will respond. It also includes one replicator, additional life support hardware for each bed and back-up battery power.

Primary Sickbay ICU also, as stated, houses four completely quarantined units, capable of supporting class M or K environments, temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Celsius to 98 degrees Celsius, and providing over a dozen different possible atmospheres.

Medlabs [Both]
Includes one replicator, material diagnostics stations, a centrifuge, gene analysis terminal, stasis field drawers for storage of biological samples.

Surgical Suites [Both]
Along with the usual surgical tools, the room includes a surgical frame biobed complete with mobile life support equipment, atmospheric isolation systems, and scanning/monitoring readout station. The room also has access to a small replicator designed for pharmaceuticals, equipment or other materials such as replacement organs or blood.

Psychiatric Suites [P]

Four offices and a larger group therapy area encircle a computer-operated reception centre/waiting area (staffed by HARLEEN). Visual sensors and audio recordings for this area are done only with the voice code of Psychiatric staff or the Chief of sStaff or crew of command-level access. The Psychiatric Suites operate with a “Code Grey” protocol should someone, crew, visitor or patient become aggressive, abusive, violent or display threatening behaviour towards the psychiatric staff, or HARLEEN can activate this protocol and request emergency response from security who can assist staff to resolve the situation or remove the person from the suite if necessary.

Morgue [S]
Contains stasis field storage slots for several bodies, a table for post-mortem examinations rigged for continuous 3-dimensional scanning and monitoring of the corpse and aseptic entries.

Dental Suite [P]
Designed in greys and blacks it is a more muted copy of the Psychiatric Suite. Four closed offices with dental chairs and individual replicators encircle a computer-operated reception centre/waiting area. (Staffed by ALBERT)

Triage Deck [S]
Deck G is configured as a large, open area, with limited storage facilities for removable bulkheads. This “Triage Deck” can be reconfigured using removable and folding bulkheads into an extra triage centre, guest quarters, surgical centre, or additional sickbay facilities, depending on the requirements of the mission. A full reconfiguration can be performed in approximately ten minutes. The aft section of the deck has Transporter Rooms Three and Four so that wounded can be beamed directly into what can be used as a triage area. Two gangplanks extend through the rear of Deck E to load wounded directly onto the Triage Deck in case of a landing.

Holodecks
There are two standard holodeck facilities on the Nightingale class located on Deck 4
Two holosuites are located on Deck E.

Quarters
Crew Quarters: Standard Living Quarters are provided for Starfleet non-commissioned officers, junior officers, and attached civilian personnel. Each quarter is furnished basically with seating areas, a workstation and a standard replicator. Single rooms have a single bedroom while double rooms have two, one on each side. Bedrooms in a single have room for a small double-sized or single bed and personal belongings as the resident sees fit. A shower room is located on the opposite side from the bedroom’s entrance and has a sonic shower, washbasin, mirror and several drawers. A variation of the crew quarters is available for families.

Department Head/Section Chief Quarters: Similarly designed to the crew quarters the Officers’ Quarters has a bigger workstation with a department/command centre computer liaison interface to perform off-duty work. In addition, Officer quarters also contain a small dining area. Furnishing is at the officers’ discretion and slightly more luxurious than the basic.

Command Quarters: Executive Quarters are similar to that of the Officer’s Quarters, however, a slightly larger living and dining area and a full bathroom by default. Slightly more luxurious furniture is also provided since the Captain and First Officer often use this room as an informal meeting area for both private conferencing and reception of guests.

VIP/Diplomatic Guest Quarters: Located on Deck 2 are the same as Executive Quarters but feature private communications terminals for secure conferencing and an additional living area(s) for diplomatic aides. These quarters can be converted to alternative environments given notice.

Recreational Environments

Gymnasium: Being a hospital ship, much importance is placed on physical health and well-being and as such crew are encouraged to make use of the gym facilities. Located on Deck 4, the Gym consists of standard gym equipment, a matted area for wrestling, martial arts, etc and a weight area.

Swim Spas: Located immediately next to the gymnasium, there are two. While most personnel choose to use the holodeck for their swimming needs, the pool exists mainly for physical fitness and rehabilitation.

Arboretum: This communal space is on Deck 9. The arboretum offers pathways and sitting areas, along with beds for growing food as the crew desires.

Lounge: This large lounge is located on Deck 4, and serves as a place of social gathering for all members of the crew and their guests. Serving as the social centre of the ship, it has a number of tables that line the windows. A bar lines the length of the aft-facing wall of the room and is serviced by an on-duty bartender. Two replicators provide the crew with beverages and food, while a limited stock of alcoholic beverages is available beneath the counter. The Lounge also has a-zero-gravity billiard table and a battery of recreational games and assorted activities which are available on request (card games, chess etc.)

Mess Hall: The Mess is located on Deck 4 and is primarily used for food consumption only. It is equipped with a bank of three replicators and a variety of seating configurations.
AUXILIARY SPACECRAFT SYSTEMS
”Jerry, call security. Somebody’s in my parking space”
Dr. Doug Ross, ER

There are two shuttlebays aboard on Decks A and B, with B serving as the main shuttle bay.

The Nightingale supports two refitted Longevity-Class runabouts. These two auxiliary craft are designed with dedicated medical modules in order to function as an “ambulance in space” to ferry wounded between the ship and the target site, or the ship and a larger medical facility, or they can also function as small field hospitals when needed. (A portion of the general-purpose area has been outfitted as a breakout medical area able to hold 3 additional biobeds giving the runabout 5 in total.) Medical supplies carried on board include standard medical fare to equipment for major surgeries. An additional computer core added to monitor patients; contains an up-to-date medical library and ties into the GALEN ship system for use in the shuttles.

The ship also hosts three shuttlecraft and two shuttle pods.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions & Structure:
* Length: 350 meters
* Beam (Width): 116.67 meters
* Height: 73 meters
* Decks: 15 (10 decks in primary hull, 8 decks in the secondary hull with 3 that overlap, listed separately)

So smaller in length and width compared with the McCoy, but ~50% taller… and nearly 10x the crew? I’d make it bigger, but that’s just me.

Crew Complement:
* Officers and Crew: 350
** Command: 7
** Engineering: 34
** Medical: 50
** Mental Health: 3
** Science: 35
** Security: 21
* Visiting Personnel: 200
* Maximum Evacuation Limit: 6000

The medical staff size has already been touched on by a prior reviewer, but I will agree that if you’re aiming for honest “mobile hospital” that should be larger. Right now it’s “mobile well-staffed clinic.” Unless the “50” for medical staff refers to the core crew, and most if not all of the 200 “visiting personnel” are intended to be temporary medics brought on at the start of a mission to bulk up the staff for the situation they’re heading into?

Also, related to my comment above about the dimensions: if I’m having a hard time imagining this ship being able to support 10x the crew of a McCoy, I definitely can’t see it supporting 12x the Max Evac Limit.

SHIP IMAGE
https://imgur.com/4tA1m7B

I do like that, particularly the attention to detail with the nacelles and showing how they can bend.

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CONCLUSION

The Nightingale-class is a state-of-the-art mobile hospital that is not only adaptable but can provide other essential services as a front-line Starfleet vessel. Its ability to be flexible allows it to provide vital emergency response across the Federation (and beyond) and serves as a responsive training environment.

SUBMITTED 10/07/2020 (DD-MM-YYYY)
Lindsay Bayes, Cale Reilly, Nicholas Villareal

My personal opinion is I would like it to be bigger in general. I don’t think you necessarily need to add decks to accomplish this, but I think it needs about a third more space to be seen as a legitimate upgrade over the McCoy, while also having the crew staffing and evacuation numbers make more sense.

-Flt. Capt. Brandon Irvine
Senior Designer

I’ve fixed the typos/word changes where necessary and put in all the comments people have made into our working doc. We’ll be discussing the changes needed. Thank you for your feedback!

~Linds