Nothing will happen in the hospital, unless you employ some staff. There are four basic types of staff in Theme Hospital. They are doctor, nurse, caretaker and receptionist. Each is fairly essential to give any chance of a successful hospital.
Doctor
In a stereotypical fashion all Doctors on the game are male, and they're essential to diagnosing and curing all patients as they run the GP's Office. It's always best to hire one with a higher attention-to-detail as they make less mistakes and therefore result in less deaths. Also look out for skill levels. They mainly diagnose and perform things like surgery and other clinics. They also may have a few different qualifications: Psychiatrist,Researcher,Surgeon. Of course the higher the level of qualification the higher the cost to hire. See which rooms need which qualifications below.
There is also three different levels of experience. There is considerable variation within each category and the precise skill level of a doctor can be seen in skill meter:
- Junior: Who come with no qualifications, and must be trained but are cheap to hire. Juniors trained to doctors or consultants tend to be cheaper than ready doctors and consultants available.
- Doctor: Normal Doctor
- Consultant: Can train other Doctors new skills, but cannot get new qualifications themselves. Consultants are also faster at work and faster in walking about than other doctors. In addition they tend to make accurate diagnoses in the GP's office saving resources in other diagnoses rooms.
Different Qualifications are needed in each room. Ensure you have enough doctors to cover every room, then while a room isn't being used you can rest them, swap them around etc. depending on their tiredness.
Doctors, of any sort, are required in the GP's Office, General Diagnosis, Cardiogram, Scanner, Ultrascan, Blood Machine and X-ray diagnosis rooms. Some treatment rooms and clinics will require specialists, such as the Operating Theater which needs two surgeons, or the Psychiatry Room which needs a doctor with the psychology qualification. Only doctors with a Research qualification can work in the Research Department, and a Consultant is needed to teach in the Lecture Room.
Remember that Doctors with Qualifications can do Normal Doctors jobs as well if needed.
Nurse
This time only Women are available to take the role of the nurse. These will be needed to cure quite a few diseases you will come across at an early stage. As with doctors, nurses with a higher attention-to-detail and skill level will make fewer mistakes. Rest them when required and keep them happy for better results. There are no extra qualifications a nurse can have.
Nurses are required in the Pharmacy, Ward and Fracture Clinic.
Handymen
Handymen help keep the place tidy, water the plants and repair equipment. You will tend to have as many handymen as you have doctors in cure or diagnosis rooms. As usual go for high attention-to-detail for better service - and they'll also move around the hospital dealing with plants, litter and machine repairs more quickly.
You should also change the settings to give one caretaker full priority for one task, another with full priority for another task and so on, to make sure that you have a dedicated handyman for each area of their abilities.
Receptionist
The MOST essential part to any hospital. Without her no-one would come to your hospital. Make sure you hire someone with high stats, as they'll deal with new visitors to the hospital more quickly, and assign them to the correct room. Not really much to do with them, they don't even need a rest at the staff room. Each receptionist needs a desk to stand behind.