Nurses, Nursing Education, and Nursing Workforce: Definitions

C. NURSING SERVICE/CARE DELIVERY TERMINOLOGY

1. Chief Executive Officer - Nursing Service. The individual who has ultimate primary responsibility for assuring the delivery of nursing and patient care services.
   
   
2. Nurse Manager. An individual who has line management position with 24-hour accountability for a designated patient care services which may include operational responsibility for patient care delivery, fiscal and quality outcomes.
   
   
3. Case Manager. An individual with primary accountability for a patient case load. The scope and duration of accountability depends on the setting of care delivery.
   
   
4. Primary Nursing Position. The position in which a nurse spends the greatest number of hours.
   
   
5. Primary Nursing Setting. The setting in which a nurse spends the greatest number of hours.
   
   
6. Advanced Nursing Practice. The practice of nursing by RNs who have specialized, formal, post-basic education and who function in highly autonomous and specialized roles as nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists or clinical nurse specialists.
   
   
7. Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). An RN who, through a formal graduate degree (masters or doctorate) CNS education program, is prepared as a CNS with expertise in a specialty area of nursing practice. Roles include expert clinical practice, consultant, educator, researcher, and clinical leadership. Certification and/or state recognition may be required for practice as a CNS.
   
   
8. Nurse Practitioner (NP). An RN prepared in a formal, post-basic nurse practitioner program, who functions in an independent primary health care provider role addressing the full range of patient's/client's health problems and needs within an area of specialization. Certification and/or state recognition may be required for practice as an NP.
   
   
9. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). An RN, who posses a baccalaureate degree and a minimum of one year of critical care experience, through a graduate or post-graduate nurse anesthesia education program, has passed a national certification examination and provides anesthesia and anesthesia-related care.
   
   
10. Certified Nurse-Midwife: A certified nurse-midwife (CNM) is an individual educated in the two disciplines of nursing and midwifery, who possesses evidence of certification according to the requirements of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Source: American College of Nurse-Midwives.
    
    
11. Nursing Service Delivery Model. The structure by which nursing care is delivered to individuals, families, and communities.
    
    
12. Employment Setting. The setting in which nursing personnel provide nursing services. (Note: Examples are listed in Appendix A.)