practical nurse
1
3.6
- noun
- /ˈpræktɪkəl nɜrs/
- Specialized
:
enfermera práctica
- After completing her training, Jenna found a job as a practical nurse in a nursing home.
- a licensed practical nurse
- practical nurses (LPNs)
- licensed practical nurses
Examples
-
A practical nurse now stayed with Annie's mother while Annie was at work.
Fiction book (1998) -
Moreover, moral distress and professional efficiency were positively correlated, which means registered nurses, who have more authority than practical nurses, feel moral distress more than practical nurses.
Academic text (2010) -
Mr. Umlauf, let me send you an excellent practical nurse I often use.
Fiction book (1994) -
You're a licensed practical nurse.
Fiction book (2001) -
I thought maybe I'd retrain for something at the community college, like a licensed practical nurse.
Fiction book (1994) -
Currently, there are 230 BSNs and 20 practical nurses providing patient care.
Academic text (2005) -
RNs Pat Reeves and Carol Crescenzo both worked as practical nurses under Miss Smith.
Academic text (2005) -
Since 1989, the agency has provided funding for senior paraprofessionals to become licensed practical nurses (LPNs).
Academic text (1994) -
As of 1999, some 90 percent of nursing aides and 95 percent of licensed practical nurses were women (U.S. Department of Labor, 2000a).
Academic text (2001) -
Ms. Johnson also expressed her feeling that, "the core of nursing is at the bedside and that practical nurses enjoyed bedside nursing" (D. Johnson, personal communication, November 11, 2004).
Academic text (2005)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A person trained to care for sick people under a doctor's supervision
3
2.7
A person who has studied health care and gives medical help in hospitals or clinics
2
4.4
A nurse with a government license who gives routine care to sick people
1
3.5
A trained health worker allowed by the state to give basic medical care under a doctor or senior medical worker
Surface Forms
Morphology
A B1 learner who knows 'practical' (hands-on, relating to real-world use) and 'nurse' (trained caregiver) will plausibly infer a nurse who provides routine, hands-on care, so the core meaning is compositional. However, the specific occupational/licensure and supervision nuance (e.g., the formal role of a licensed practical nurse) is institutional and not fully predictable from the parts, so it is not completely transparent.
Etymology
Practical nurse comes from practical meaning 'hands-on' work and nurse meaning someone who cares for patients. So a practical nurse is named for doing everyday, direct tasks and giving 'routine care' to help people with daily needs.