Author: Glossary
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Nurse supply estimate
The number of licensed, registered nurses in active fulltime practice, plus half the number of licensed nurses who work part-time. The estimate includes all associate, baccalaureate, and graduate level nurses.
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Nursery
A hospital department in which the newborn are cared for.
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Nurse reinvestment act
Public law 107-205, a federal law enacted in 2002 that creates incentives to enter or remain in the nursing profession. It provides funding to recruit students, retain nurses in current assignments, train nurse educators, and ensure the competency of nurses who care for the elderly.
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Visiting nurse
Community health nurse with primary responsibility for individual patients in their homes.
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Public health nurse
Community health nurse with primary responsibility for the health concerns of large groups of individuals within a community.
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Psychiatric nurse practitioner
A registered nurse with advanced preparation who combines medical and nursing skills in the care and treatment of psychiatric or mental health patients.
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Private duty nurse
A nurse who cares for a patient on a fee-for-service basis, usually in an institution. The nurse is not a staff member of the institution.
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Prescribing nurse
A nurse who is allowed to prescribe drugs. Certain states in the U.S. permit nurses to prescribe only certain types and classes of drugs; most states require that prescribing nurses work with a supervising or collaborating physician; and approval for prescribing is granted only to nurse practitioners.
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Infection control nurse
A registered nurse employed by an agency to monitor the rate and causes of nosocomial infections and to promote measures to prevent such infections.
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Home health nurse
A nurse who visits patients in their homes to provide skilled nursing services, such as assessment and patient and family teaching.