Term Glossary

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ACUTE CARE

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Short-term medical treatment, for patients having an acute illness or injury or recovering from surgery

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AMBULATORY SURGERY

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Outpatient surgery, also known as same-day surgery, day case, or day surgery, is surgery that does not require an overnight hospital stay. The term "outpatient" arises from the fact that surgery patients may go home and do not need an overnight hospital bed. The purpose of outpatient surgery is to keep hospital costs down, as well as saving the patient time that would otherwise be wasted in the hospital.

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APRN

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Same as Ambulatory Surgery

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Charge RN

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Charge nurses are responsible for overseeing a specific department within healthcare facility for their assigned shift. Individuals in this role perform such duties as delegating nursing assignments, preparing schedules, overseeing admissions and discharges, and monitoring and ordering medicines and supplies. In addition to these managerial tasks, charge nurses also may carry a patient load depending on where they work and their shift.

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Circulate

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Plans and performs all nursing care for patients who will undergo surgery and other invasive procedures. They provide nursing care from assessment to outcome evaluation

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CNA

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Certified Nursing Assistants are healthcare professionals who provide health care services to patients and facility residents. They are also called nursing aides or orderlies. A CNA provides basic health care services to his clients. We do not staff CNAs.

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CPHON

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Certified Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurse

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Critical Access Hospital (CAH)

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"Cricital Access Hospital" is a designation given to certain rural hospitals by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Typically 25 beds or less.

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CRNA

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Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist provide anesthetics to patients in every practice setting, and for every type of surgery or procedure. They are the sole anesthesia providers in nearly all rural hospitals, and the main provider of anesthesia to the men and women serving in the US Armed Forces. We typically don't staff CRNAs: they are more qualified and make more money than RNs.

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ECG/EKG/Tele Strips

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An elctrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) is a test that checks for problems with the electrical activity of your heart. An EKG shows the heart's electrical activity as line tracings on paper. The spikes and dips in the tracings are called waves.

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ECMO

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ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) is a procedure that uses a machine to take over the work of the lungs and sometimes the heart. ECMO is used for babies, children and adults. It is a special way for a machine to help your child, while he or she is sick. Related to NICU nursing: Level IV typically requires experience with ECMO

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EMR/EHR

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Electronic Medical Records, Electronic Hospital Records

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Flight RN

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A flight nurse is traditionally a specialty where highly trained registered nurses provide comprehensive prehospital, emergency, and critical care to all types of patients during aeromedical evacuation or rescue operations abroad helicopter and propeller aircraft or jet aircraft. Flight RNs typically have extensive ICU or ER experience; most likely both.

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Float

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When a RN moves from their assigned unit to help another unit that needs help due to increased patient load or census

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GSA/EPLS

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General Services Administration (GSA) Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), is the official US Government system that consolidated the capabilities of CCR/FedReg, ORCA, and EPLS. The EPLS is a federal database containing names of those individuals and entities that have been barred and excluded from doing business with the federal government.