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The following is a dictionary of sorts that lists the various careers in healthcare, most of which are required at the Musquodoboit Valley Memorial Hospital and Braeside Long Term Care facility. There is a brief description of each position that includes some of the duties that may be required to be preformed. Most of the positions can be further explored at https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/ Each career path takes about the requirements for entry into the field, the duties and the projected salary. This dictionary will also include a short list of local institutions where the courses are offered. Other options exist as well. Generally, careers in the healthcare begin with a solid basis in science and biology in high school. Some will require an undergraduate degree, but others can be accomplished with shorter certification programs.

Acupuncturist

Practices traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body to stimulate the body’s natural healing process.

Administrative Professional

Administrative professionals preform organizational office and front desk-related tasks for a health care provider. These individuals may support hospitals, clinics, or doctors’ offices. Their tasks include greeting patients, scheduling appointments, updating patient records, managing payments and communicating with insurance companies. In addition, they may help patients with paperwork or answer questions about medical office’s services.
The Nova Scotia Community offers courses in medical office technologies.

Administrator

A healthcare administrator, also known as a healthcare executive or health services manager, plays a pivotal role in the seamless operation of medical facilities and the delivery of quality patient care. They are the strategic leaders who oversee the business aspects of healthcare, ensuring that their organizations are well-coordinated and effectively managed. Tasked with the responsibility of aligning the complex machinery of healthcare services with the ever-evolving landscape of regulations and technologies, healthcare administrators are the backbone of the medical industry’s infrastructure. Their expertise encompasses a blend of health policy knowledge, organizational acumen, and a deep commitment to enhancing patient experiences and outcomes. As architects of healthcare’s future, they are instrumental in shaping policies, managing finances, and leading teams to achieve excellence in a sector that sits at the heart of community well-being.

Advanced Care Paramedics

Advanced care paramedics often work in hospitals alongside other medical staff. As a result, critical care paramedics need to have more advanced medical skills so that they can provide care in a more complex setting. They also need to be able to effectively communicate with other medical staff members in order to coordinate care.
Home – Medavie HealthEdMedavie HealthEd.

Anesthetist Nurse (CRNA)

Administer anesthesia and provide care before, during, and after surgical procedures. Critical for patient safety during surgeries.

Audiologists

Diagnose and treat hearing and balance disorders.

Audiology Assistants

Help with hearing tests, equipment maintenance, and administrative tasks.

Autism Support Worker

Help individuals with autism spectrum disorder develop life skills, social skills, and independence. They provide emotional, behavioral, and educational support in various settings, such as schools, homes, and community centers.

Biomedical Engineers

Design and maintain medical equipment, contributing to advanced patient care technologies.

Cardiac Nurse

Specialize in caring for patients with heart conditions, including monitoring heart health, administering treatments, and educating patients. Essential for heart health management.

Case Management Nurse

Coordinate patient care, manage treatment plans, and ensure patients receive appropriate services. Key for efficient and effective healthcare delivery.

Chiropractic Assistants

Help with patient intake, therapy setups, and administrative tasks.

Chiropractors

Treat musculoskeletal issues through manual adjustments and other therapies.

Clinical Dietician

The primary role of a clinical dietician is to design nutrition programs to improve or maintain the health of patients. These programs may be short-term, such as to ensure that proper nutrition is delivered to an accident victim until full healing has occurred. Or they may be long-term for patients with diabetes, kidney disease or old age conditions that affect proper nutrition. The programs designed may be preventive, for heart disease or obesity, or therapeutic to help a patient with heart disease maintain a baseline health and nutrition state.
Acadia University, Mount Saint Vincent, NS Health Authority and Dalhousie University offer programs.

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

Focus on improving patient outcomes in a specific area of practice through direct patient care, research, and education. Key for advancing clinical practices.

Compliance Officers

Ensure adherence to healthcare regulations and standards, maintaining legal and ethical operations.

Continuing Care Assistant (CCA)

Continuing Care Assistant provide supports for people who need help with their daily lives. They do personal care and other activities to help them live well. They may help clients participate in meaningful activities such as inclusion in social interactions and recreation.
Nova Scotia Community College: various campuses.

Continuing Care Assistants

Provide essential personal and supportive care to individuals who need help with daily activities due to aging, illness, or disability.

Dental Assistant

Work alongside dentists and dental hygienists to provide patient care, assist with dental procedures, and manage administrative tasks in a dental clinic.

Dental Hygienist


Focuses on preventive dental care, patient education, and treating gum disease as they work alongside dentists but can perform certain treatments independently in some settings.

Dental Laboratory Technician


Create and repair custom dental appliances, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, and orthodontic devices.

Dentists

Diagnose and treat oral health issues, perform dental procedures, and promote oral hygiene.

Dialysis Nurse

Provide care to patients undergoing dialysis for kidney failure, including monitoring treatments and educating patients. Essential for kidney health management.

Dietician

Dietitians are experts in the world of nutrition, and their primary role is to guide people through the process of learning about nutrition and making dietary changes. Dietitians serve as educators, advocates, and support for clients on their nutrition journey. Dietitians may offer to their clients: basic nutrition education chronic disease management weight management meal planning services eating disorder recovery. See list of Universities that offer programs.

Dietitians and Nutritionists

Develop nutrition plans to improve patient health and manage conditions.

Educator Nurse

Teach and train nursing students or current nurses, develop educational programs, and conduct research. Important for ensuring a well-educated nursing workforce.

Emergency Medical Responder

The emergency medical responder is trained to provide basic emergency medical care, things like assessing and managing patients at the scene, administering CPR, controlling bleeding, stabilizing injuries. They will also be able to assist with hospital patient transfers and assist in offload areas in emergency rooms. The new role also presents a path for health professionals to work their way up to becoming paramedics. He said clinical transport operators can upgrade to become emergency medical responders and then complete paramedic training.
Home – Medavie HealthEdMedavie HealthEd.

EMTs and Paramedics

Provide emergency medical care and transport patients to healthcare facilities.

Family Practice Nurse (FPN)

Family practice nurses are usually a RN who practice within the primary health care settings. They provide a broad range of health services, including preventative health promotion and screening (e.g. well-baby assessments, immunizations and cervical screening), health education (e.g. healthy living, disease self-management, behavior change), healthcare management (e.g. management (extension), therapeutic interventions (e.g. wound care, injections), and coordination of care with community partners.

Finance and Accounting Staff

Manage budgets, financial planning, and reporting, ensuring financial health of the facility.

Flight Nurse

Provide medical care during air transport, often in emergency situations. Critical for patient care during medical evacuations.

Food Service Workers

Prepare and serve meals to patients, ensuring nutritional needs are met.

Forensic Nurse

Provide care to victims of trauma or violence, collect evidence, and testify in legal cases. Important for bridging healthcare and the legal system.

Geriatric Nurse

Specialize in caring for elderly patients, managing chronic conditions, and promoting healthy aging. Important for the growing aging population.

Health Information Managers

Oversee patient records and health information systems, ensuring data accuracy and security.

Healthcare Administrators

Manage operations of healthcare facilities, ensuring efficient and effective service delivery.

Healthcare Data Analysts

Analyze data to improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.

Hearing Instrument Specialists

Fit and dispense hearing aids under the guidance of an audiologist.

Home Health Nurse

Provide care to patients in their homes, including wound care, medication management, and chronic disease monitoring. Essential for patient independence and comfort.

Hospice Nurse

Provide end-of-life care, focusing on pain management and emotional support for patients and families. Crucial for compassionate end-of-life care.

Hospital Manager

Hospital mangers oversee the general administration of hospital and other provider facilities. Their central goals are to prioritize patients’ safety, as well as to ensure the financial and operational sustainability of the sites they manage. In addition, they monitor the healthcare quality in the facility, review staff performance, select and implement relevant medical technologies and IT infrastructure, and promote a collaborative organizational culture.

Housekeeping Staff

Maintain cleanliness and hygiene in healthcare facilities, preventing infections.

Human Resources Professionals

Handle staffing, training, and employee relations, supporting a skilled and motivated workforce.

Infection Prevention and Control Nurse

Develop and implement infection control policies, educate staff on best practices, and monitor infection rates. Crucial for preventing healthcare-associated infections.

IT Professionals

Manage healthcare IT systems, ensuring secure and efficient digital operations.

Laboratory Technician

Laboratory technicians perform critical tasks that help execute important processes, such as research and innovation. A lab technician typically works in immersive environments of technology and science with various professionals, such as doctors, scientists, or engineers.
A lab technician’s tasks can vary in different environments and areas of study. Some of their responsibilities may include preparing orders and invoices, maintaining notebooks, describing procedures, and maintaining records. A large part of their job involves conducting routine inspections of laboratory equipment to determine when maintenance is necessary. They also make sure that the laboratory area is clean and free of spills and contamination.
Nova Scotia Community College offers the course.

Laboratory Technicians

Conduct tests on patient samples to provide critical diagnostic information.

Licensed Practical Nurse

Provide hands-on nursing care in various healthcare settings. LPNs work under the supervision of Registered Nurses (RNs) and doctors but have more responsibilities than Continuing Care Assistants.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Licensed practical nurses are medical practitioners who provide basic and specialized care across various healthcare settings. Their duties include administering medications, taking samples and monitoring patient’s health.
Nova Scotia Community College: various campuses.

Longterm Care Nurse

Provide direct patient care in hospitals or clinics, including monitoring vital signs, administering medications, and assisting with daily activities. Essential for patient recovery and comfort.

Maintenance

Maintenance workers perform trades duties approaching the journeyman level in various areas such as electrical, plumbing, and painting, ensuring compliance with applicable codes and regulations. They may supervise other maintenance workers and designated staff, constructing items like walls, doors, floors, ceilings, and windows, as well as designing, constructing, and repairing furniture, cabinets, desks, tables, and shelves. In addition, plastering, painting, and decorating by selecting and applying various paint, plaster, and wall coverings for both minor building renovations and general maintenance will be included.

Maintenance Workers

Ensure the facility’s infrastructure is in good condition, supporting a safe environment.

Marketing and Public Relations Specialists

Promote healthcare services and manage public perception.

Massage therapist

Manipulates the muscles and soft tissues of the body to relieve pain, reduce stress, improve circulation, and promote overall relaxation.

Medical Billing and Coding Specialists

Process insurance claims and ensure accurate billing for services rendered.

Medical Equipment Technicians

Maintain and repair medical devices, ensuring they function correctly.

Medical Laboratory Technologists

Perform complex tests and analyses on patient samples to aid in diagnosis and treatment.

Medical Physicists

Ensure imaging equipment is safe and effective.

Medical Technician

Medical technicians are the professionals who work with laboratory technicians to assist in the preparation, examination and analysis of lab samples and specimens. Additionally, you can choose to specialize in a specific concentration for medical technicians, where you can find positions as a phlebotomist or surgical technician.
How To Become a Medical Technician | Indeed.com.

Medical Transcriptionists

Convert voice recordings of healthcare providers into written reports, ensuring accurate documentation.

Midwife Nurse (CNM)

Provide prenatal, childbirth, and postpartum care, as well as gynecological services. Essential for maternal and infant health.

Music Therapists & Art Therapists

Use creative arts to enhance therapy.

Naturopathic Doctors

Use natural remedies, lifestyle changes, and herbal medicine.

Neonatal Nurse

Provide care to newborns, especially those who are premature or have health issues, in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Vital for infant survival and health.

Nuclear Medicine Technologists

Handle imaging that uses radioactive substances for diagnosis.

Nurse Educator

Nurse educators are registered nurses (RNs) who have obtained advanced nursing degrees that allow them to teach nursing curricula at colleges and universities, educating and training the future nurses of the world. Some nurse educators work in healthcare settings as staff development officers or clinical supervisors.
The Nova Scotia Health Learning Institute for Health Care Providers offers education programming designed to meet the needs of learners across the province and strengthen our health care system. We are committed to delivering high-quality, evidence-informed programming that enables providers to develop and maintain foundational and specialty competencies.

Nurse Practitioner (NP)

NPs provide a wide range of direct care services to people at every stage of life. In addition to treating illnesses, they teach individuals and their families about healthy living, preventing disease and managing illness. NPs bring together medical knowledge with the values and skills of nursing. NPs are also leaders, consultants and researchers who incorporate new knowledge into their practice.

Nurses

Provide direct patient care, administer medications, and educate patients. They are essential for patient recovery and comfort.

Occupational Health Nurse

Promote workplace health and safety, manage employee health programs, and provide care for work-related injuries. Important for employee well-being.

Occupational Therapist

These professionals frequently aid patients who can’t walk, are very ill, or have severe injuries with daily tasks. They often assist patients in relearning and developing the abilities necessary to live and work independently. Occupational therapists fulfill the following duties: Examine patients, create treatment plans, help with activities and exercises, and recommend improvements. Most occupational therapists work in close collaboration with patients’ families and caregivers, particularly when aiding children or geriatric patients.
The Nova Scotia community college offers the course.

Occupational Therapist

Help individuals of all ages develop, recover, or maintain the skills needed for daily living and working. They assist people who have physical, cognitive, or mental health challenges that affect their ability to perform everyday tasks.

Oncology Nurse

Provide care to cancer patients, including administering chemotherapy, managing symptoms, and offering emotional support. Crucial for cancer treatment and patient support.

Ophthalmic Technicians/Assistants

They assist with eye exams, testing, and patient care.

Opticians

Help fit and dispense eyeglasses and contact lenses based on prescriptions from the optometrist.

Optometrists

Conduct eye exams, prescribe corrective lenses, and diagnose eye conditions.

Orthotists and Prosthetists

Design and fit orthopedic braces, artificial limbs, and other devices.

Paramedic

Paramedics are medical professionals who operate outside medical facilities, either in ambulances or other emergency vehicles, to offer emergency care to patients. When patients need further medical attention, they also oversee the transportation of patients to a health care facility and ensure they remain stable during transit. Paramedics differ from an emergency medical responder (EMR), who performs less advanced functions. Paramedics are also responsible for administering medication and filing reports.
Some duties include: responding to emergencies, assessing and treating patients, and transporting patients. Patients receiving palliative care in Nova Scotia can get support from paramedics for pain and symptom management at home.
There are paramedic education programs in Dartmouth, NS and Charlottetown, PEI. For more information, visit medaviehealthed.com or hollandcollege.com.

Patient Transporters

Assist in moving patients within the facility, ensuring timely and safe transport.

Pediatric Nurse

Provide care to infants, children, and adolescents, including routine check-ups, vaccinations, and treatment of illnesses. Vital for child health and development.

Pharmacist

A pharmacist is a healthcare professional with expertise in various medications including prescription drugs, who focuses on safe and effective drug use for patients. They understand what aliments or conditions different medications treat, how they interact, and how to use and prescribe them properly. A pharmacist is also qualified to give advice and guidance about all medications and dispense prescriptions. Some common duties they preform include properly reviewing prescriptions, managing and maintaining the pharmacy’s inventory, collaborating with physicians and providers to discuss potential medicine compatibilities and incompatibilities, advising patients on how to take medicine properly, giving various shots, processing insurance claims, and recommending over-the-counter medications.
Dalhousie University offers the program.

Pharmacists

Dispense medications, counsel patients on drug use, and ensure safe medication practices.

Pharmacy Assistant

Support pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in preparing and distributing medications, managing inventory, and providing customer service.

Phlebotomist

A phlebotomist is a medical professional who is trained to perform blood draws on children and adults. They collect and prepare blood for testing so it can be analyzed in a medical laboratory. They also collect blood for donation. Phlebotomy programs are normally offered at technical and vocational schools and community colleges. They usually take less than a year to complete.
The Nova Scotia Community College offers the course.

Physical Therapists

Help patients recover mobility and function through exercises and treatments.

Physician

Dalhousie University offer some of the most advanced medical and research education programs in Canada, including a MD program, through graduate studies, residency training and continuing professional development programs. They apply the latest in evidence-based education practice.

Physicians

Diagnose and treat illnesses, perform surgeries, and provide preventive care. They are central to patient health outcomes. There are 24 primary categories of doctors that include: primary care, surgical, hospital based, diagnostic, internal and specialized care areas. Doctors can further specialize in areas sports medicine, forensic pathology, palliative care, sleep medicine, pain management, and medical genetics.

Physiotherapist

A Physiotherapist is a person qualified to treat disease, injury, or deformity by physical methods such as massage, heat treatment, and exercise. This helps patients manage pain, balance, mobility, and motor functions. They take whole-body approach, addressing not only the physical aspects of your well-being, but also your emotional, psychological, and social well-being. They work at all stages of healthcare, including prevention, education, intervention, rehabilitation, and treatment.
Dalhousie University offers the program.

Physiotherapist

Help people recover from injuries, manage chronic conditions, and improve movement and function by using exercise, hands-on therapy, and education to treat pain, mobility issues, and physical impairments caused by injury, illness, or disability.

Podiatric Medical Assistants

Help with patient care, administrative tasks, and preparing equipment.

Podiatrists

Diagnose and treat foot and lower limb conditions.

Podiatrists

Diagnose and treat foot and lower limb conditions.

Poison Control Nurse

Provide advice and treatment recommendations for poison exposures via phone or in-person consultations. Vital for immediate and accurate response to poisoning incidents.

Practitioner Nurse (NP)

Provide advanced clinical care, including diagnosing and treating illnesses, prescribing medications, and managing patient care. Enhance access to healthcare services.

Psychiatric Nurse

Provide mental health care, including therapy, medication management, and crisis intervention. Important for mental health support and treatment.

Psychologists and Psychiatrists

Offer mental health care, including therapy and medication management.

Public Health Nurse

Work in community settings to promote public health, prevent disease, and educate populations. Important for community health and wellness.

Public Health Officials


Protect and improve community health by preventing diseases, promoting wellness, and ensuring access to healthcare resources. They focus on large-scale health issues rather than individual patient care through policy development, research, health education and promotion and emergency preparedness.

Quality Assurance Coordinators

Monitor and improve healthcare quality and patient safety.

Radiation Therapists

Administer radiation treatments to cancer patients.

Radiologic Technologists

Perform imaging procedures like X-rays and MRIs to help diagnose medical conditions using
imaging equipment like X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs.

Radiology Nurses

Assist with patient care during imaging procedures, including administering.

Receptionists and Administrative Assistants

Handle administrative tasks and patient interactions, ensuring smooth operations.

Recreation Activities Coordinator

A recreation coordinator is someone who organizes, executes, and supports recreational activities for a range of demographics. They may work in both profit-driven and non-profit-driven organizations to support mental and physical health, wellness, culture, social enjoyment, and community engagement. Recreation coordinators are useful in organizations that interact with or comprise extensive communities. The recreational activities they coordinate may involve camps, holiday activities, exercise sessions, sporting events, games, tournaments and other competitions. These can be activities for small or large groups and be recurring or one-off events.
The Nova Scotia Community College offers the course.

Recreation Programmer

Responsible for planning, organizing, and running recreational activities and programs for communities, seniors, youth, and individuals with special needs. They often support recreation therapists.

Recreation Therapist

A recreation therapist is a healthcare professional who works to improve their patient’s mental, physical, behavioural, or occupational health through structured activities. They work in a variety of settings and may specialize in working with a particular population, such as children with autism or ageing adults with cognitive challenges. Often, recreation therapists work as part of a team that includes other healthcare professionals like physical therapists, occupational therapists, registered nurses, and psychologists. In other settings, they may work alongside teachers, social workers, and community recreation workers.
A recreation therapist plans, implements, and coordinates recreational activities to help people with disabilities, illnesses, injuries, or other conditions improve their functioning and work toward their clinical goals. They may help their patients manage stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, recover physical or cognitive abilities, develop confidence, and improve social skills. For example, a recreation therapist may organize a bowling league for patients with paralysis to help them improve physical strength, learn adaptive techniques, and meet others with similar conditions to form supportive a community.
Dalhousie University offer the program.

Recreation Therapist

Work with various professionals to improve patients’ physical, emotional, and social well-being through recreational activities.

Registered Nurse (RN)

A registered nurse is a nurse who works with physicians and other members of the healthcare team to provide patient-centered care. They may specialize in care for specific populations and centers, such as working on a hospital floor, urgency department or at a long-term care facility.
Dalhousie University, St. Francis Exavior University, Cape Brenton University, and Acadia.

Rehabilitation Assistant

Rehabilitation assistant assists in implementing the rehab plan outlined by a therapist or specialist for each patient. The duties include overseeing patients’ activities, instructing patients in the use of equipment, documenting patient’s progress in reports, managing patients’ activities and discussing the patients with supervisor.
The Nova Scotia Community College offers the course.

Research Nurse

Conduct clinical research, collect data, and ensure compliance with research protocols. Essential for advancing medical knowledge and treatments.

Respiratory Therapist

A respiratory therapist uses a spirometry devise that helps treat patients’ lungs to restore and maintain their functions. A respiratory therapist operates the machine in aid of diagnosing, treating and managing the conditions affecting patients’ lungs as a result of lung disease, injury or surgery.
Dalhousie University offer the program.

Respiratory Therapists

Provide care for patients with breathing or cardiopulmonary disorders.

School Nurse

Provide healthcare to students, manage chronic conditions, and promote health education in schools. Vital for student health and academic success.

Security Personnel

Protect patients, staff, and property, ensuring a secure environment.

Social Worker

Social workers are regulated health professionals who work with clients—individuals, families, groups and communities—to improve individual and collective well-being. They often work in interdisciplinary teams to provide services, share resources, improve conditions and create opportunities for growth, recovery and personal development.
Dalhousie University offer the program though the School of Social Work.

Social Worker

Social workers are regulated health professionals who work with clients—individuals, families, groups and communities—to improve individual and collective well-being. They often work in interdisciplinary teams to provide services, share resources, improve conditions and create opportunities for growth, recovery and personal development.
As well as working with clients, social workers respond to social issues and address barriers and injustice within society and organizations. The profession advocates for social justice, human rights and fair access to health and social services.
Because social work is such a vast field, there are many opportunities to specialize in a particular area (e.g. casework, policy and administration, research) practice area (e.g. child welfare, community development, long-term care) or client population (e.g. Indigenous peoples, 2SLGBTQIA+, elderly, newcomers to Canada). Social workers work in treatment teams in general and psychiatric hospitals. They contribute to the care, treatment and rehabilitation of patients. They also provide an important link between the treatment team and families, and help families find community resources.

Social Worker

Provide counseling, advocacy, and support to improve people’s well-being and connect them with the resources they need.

Sonographers

Perform ultrasounds and provide imaging for radiologists to interpret.

Speech-Language Pathologists

Diagnose and treat communication and swallowing disorders.

Supply Chain and Logistics Staff

Manage procurement and distribution of medical supplies, ensuring availability of necessary resources.

Surgical Technician

A surgical technician or tech, also known as a surgical technologist, operating room technicians, or scrub, assists surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and other medical experts with surgical procedures. Generally, these individuals perform various tasks and assist the surgical team throughout the three stages of surgeries to help provide safe, sterile procedures for patients.
Their tasks may involve: sterilizing operating tools and equipment, including any medications or sterile solutions, ensure equipment is working before surgery, transfer patients to and from the OR, prep the OR, check patients’ medical charts and records before surgery to ensure accuracy, monitor equipment and pass operating tools to surgeon during surgery, clean patient and the operating table post surgery, help with a patient’s dressing or bandages, dispose all the leftover materials in the operating room properly and restock the OR.
How To Become a Surgical Technician (With Helpful FAQS) | Indeed.com.

Travel Nurse

Work temporary assignments in various locations, often filling staffing shortages. Important for maintaining healthcare services in underserved areas.

Utility Worker

Utility Workers performs general repetitive tasks in maintaining an assigned area, with due consideration for patients, visitors and staff. This position maintains clean and sanitary conditions in assigned areas as directed, according to established standards, observing proper cleaning and disinfecting techniques.
This position observes all hospital and departmental personnel policies with particular reference to patient confidentiality; practices and promotes safety awareness; observes fire regulations and reports any suspected safety hazards; participates in and contributes to the departmental quality management program; and supports and participates in departmental continuing education programs.

X-ray Technician

An x-ray technician is a healthcare professional who uses special equipment to take pictures of the human body. They help doctors diagnose diseases and injuries. If you want to become an x-ray technician, learning more about this career can help you decide if it’s a good fit for your skills and professional aspirations.
Dalhousie School of Health Sciences offers the programs in Radiological Technology, Nuclear Medicine or Diagnostic Medical Sonography as well as Magnetic Resonance Imaging.