View source for Nurse

{{monster
 |difficulty=13
 |level=11
 |experience=245
 |speed=6
 |AC=0
 |MR=0
 |align=0
 |frequency=3
 |genocidable=Yes
 |attacks=Claw 2d6 [[heal]]
 |weight=1450
 |nutr=400
 |size=Medium
 |resistances=Poison
 |resistances conveyed=Poison (73%)
 |attributes={{attributes|A nurse|humanoid=1|nopoly=1|human=1|omnivore=1|hostile=1|infravisible=1}}
 |reference=[[monst.c#line2245]]
}}

A '''nurse''', {{monsym|nurse}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. The nurse is an [[omnivorous]] [[Human (monster attribute)|human]] that can be seen via [[infravision]], and is one of the few monsters that can actively heal the [[hero]] under certain circumstances.

A nurse has a single "claw" attack that functions as follows: if the nurse is not [[cancelled]] and attacks the hero, and the hero is unarmored, empty-handed (i.e. not [[wield]]ing a weapon) and not generating [[conflict]], the attack will instead heal the hero for the same amount of HP it would have dealt as damage. If the hero is a [[Healer]], a non-cancelled nurse will not damage them regardless, and their attacks may print a special [[#Message|message]].{{refsrc|src/mhitu.c|1517|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=Special nurse message for Healers|name=cooperate}} The [[#Healing attack|section below]] further details how the attack functions.

[[Chat]]ting to a nurse results in various messages being printed, depending on if they are healing the hero or if the hero has items left to remove and unwield.{{refsrc|src/mhitu.c|1466|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=Nurse healing attack code|name=case_ad_heal}}

Eating a nurse [[corpse]] or [[tin]] has a {{frac|11|15}} chance (73%) of granting [[poison resistance]], and will always fully restore [[HP]] while curing [[blindness]].

{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Nurses can now heal you even when you are wielding something, as long as it is not a weapon or [[weapon-tool]].}}

==Generation==
Randomly generated nurses are always created hostile. They are not an eligible form for [[polymorph]].

==Strategy==
{{main|Nurse dancing}}
If you encounter a nurse, and there are no other dangerous monsters nearby, the easiest way to strip yourself is to press {{kbd|shift|A}} and select all of your armor, plus your wielded weapon, for removal. Once disrobed and disarmed, you can let the nurse start healing. Letting many nurses heal you at once this way is known as [[nurse dancing]], most often done by [[genocide|reverse-genociding]] nurses on a [[non-teleport level]] - see that article for more details.

===Healing attack===
While you are unarmored and not wielding anything, the nurse's attack will restore 2d6 HP per hit and cure [[food poisoning]] and [[illness]];<ref name=case_ad_heal/> being healed this way has a {{frac|3}} chance of exercising [[strength]] and [[constitution]].{{refsrc|src/mhitu.c|1500|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} After healing you, a nurse has a {{frac|33}} chance of [[teleport]]ing away - if you are on a [[non-teleport level]], the nurse will become [[scare]]d for a while instead; if your maximum HP was raised, the nurse also has a {{frac|13}} chance of vanishing entirely.<ref name=case_ad_heal/> A [[cancelled]] nurse will attack and damage you as normal.

The chance of a nurse raising your max HP is {{frac|7}} for each hit, provided that your maximum is less than 5 &times; ''XL'' + (2 &times; ''XL'')[[d notation|d10]] - nurses are thus most effective when you have fewer than 7 HP/level, and become completely ineffective at 25 HP/level.{{refsrc|src/mhitu.c|1492|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=Nurse HP-raising formula}} No such restrictions apply to [[polyself]], but any max HP increases acquired while polymorphed will only last until you revert to your original form.

===Tinning nurses===
Characters with a [[tinning kit]] should ideally tin nurse corpses when possible; the tin and/or the kit itself should be blessed, as it will take two turns at most to open and eat without a [[tin opener]]. Tins of nurse meat are often carried alongside blessed potions of {{! of|full healing}} during the late game and the eventual [[ascension run]], as they are comparable major sources of healing.

Nurse meat will always restore you to full HP, while potions of full healing are limited to restoring 400 HP at most; the latter is still sufficient for a majority of cases, and quaffing non-cursed potions while under 400 maximum HP can increase that maximum by up to 8 per potion. Tins of nurse meat in open inventory cannot be destroyed by cold or fire, but opening and eating a blessed tin may take two turns, while a potion can be downed in one go - do not wait until you are one turn from death to consume tinned nurse.

Eating nurse meat is also [[cannibalism]] for humans, with the exception of human [[Caveman|Cavewomen and Cavemen]] - those playing humans in other roles may still want to keep a few tins on hand for dire emergencies, as they may consider it better to live as a cannibal and eventually restore lost Luck than die of hit point loss.

==History==
The nurse first appears in [[Hack 1.0]]. From this version to [[NetHack 2.3e]], nurses use the {{white|n}} glyph - in [[NetHack 3.0.0]], the [[nymph]] is split into its three subtypes and moved to the {{white|n}} glyph, and nurses are moved from that glyph to the {{white|@}} glyph with other [[Human or elf|human and elven monsters]].

The blindness-curing property of nurse meat is introduced in [[NetHack 3.6.1]] via {{commit|0840974b42b117289a2401c97d8254c64d59811d}}.{{refsrc|src/eat.c|986|version=NetHack 3.6.1}}

In NetHack 3.6.1 and earlier versions, including some variants based on those versions, a bug prevents nurse meat from properly granting poison resistance; this is fixed in [[NetHack 3.6.2]] via {{commit|a97d0b7270c434fa9f9b2e9cf6828e201d981a46}}.

==Messages==
{{message|"Put that weapon away before you hurt somebody!"|You chatted to a nurse while wielding a weapon or other item.}}
{{message|"Please undress so I can examine you."|As above while you are wearing armor, possibly hiding a [[shirt]].}}
{{message|"Take off your shirt, please."|As above while you are only wearing a shirt.}}
{{message|"Relax, this won't hurt a bit."|You chatted to a nurse while fully disrobed and wielding no weapon.}}
{{message|"I hate this job!"|You chatted to a cancelled nurse.}}
{{message|The nurse hits! (I hope you don't mind.)|You were hit by a nurse and were healed instead of damaged.}}
{{message|"Doc, I can't help you unless you cooperate."|You are a Healer and wearing armor or wielding something while a nurse is "attacking" you.<ref name="cooperate"/>}}

==Variants==
===SLASH'EM===
In [[SLASH'EM]], a peaceful nurse has a {{frac|2|5}} chance of generating in the prison cell within the northern half of [[Grund's Stronghold]] at level creation.

===GruntHack===
In [[GruntHack]], nurses are one of the various [[racial monster]]s.

===dNetHack===
{{main|Nurse (dNetHack)}}
In [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]], nurses function much differently from their counterparts in ''NetHack'', and nurse dancing is not possible.

===xNetHack===
In [[xNetHack]], nurses have a {{frac|5}} chance of generating with a [[scalpel]].

==Encyclopedia entry==
{{encyclopedia-redirect|Human (monster)}}
{{nethack-367}}
[[Category:Monsters]]

==References==
<references/>
{{nethack-367}}
[[Category:Monsters]]