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registered nurse

registered nurse

19 2.8
A trained health worker who cares for sick people and has official permission to work
  • noun
  • /ˈrɛdʒɪstərd nɜrs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : enfermero titulado
  • Included are jobs such as registered nurses, top executives, and elementary school teachers.
  • registered nurses (RNs)
  • registered nurse (RN)
  • registered nurse or dietitian

She is a registered nurse for a cardiologist.

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Examples

  • The unit consists of medical doctors, registered nurses, and environmental health officers.

    Academic text (2004)
  • I was a registered nurse at the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi.

  • I'm a registered nurse at the university hospital.

  • Residents in nursing homes receive attention from registered nurses for an average of nine minutes per day.

    Academic text (1997)
  • I'm a registered nurse with a company called Donate Life.

  • Donna Dunn is the only registered nurse for miles around.

  • Jean Oosterheert is a registered nurse who studied rehabilitation teaching at Western Michigan University.

    Academic text (2000)
  • A convenience sample of 126 registered nurses was recruited from area hospitals.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Two of the caregivers were registered nurses, and the remaining 10 caregivers were health care aides.

    Academic text (2012)
  • I'm a registered nurse at the university hospital.

Synonyms

RN
vsregistered nurse
  • Specialized
14 3.4

A nurse who finished training and has official permission to work as one

has identical meaning but is the full formal phrase

How Qualified

nurse practitioner
  • Specialized
14 3.8
registered nurse
  • Specialized
19 2.8
licensed practical nurse
  • Specialized
1 3.5
nursing aide
  • US
1 3.2

Surface Forms

Morphology

registered + nurse

The meaning 'a nurse who is formally recorded/authorized' is directly derivable from combining 'registered' (formally recorded by an authority) with 'nurse' (trained caregiver). This is a regular adjective + noun composition found across languages and follows standard English morphology, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The name registered nurse comes from putting a nurse's name on an official list after they finish training and pass an exam, so registered shows the nurse has official approval. That's why registered nurse means 'a nurse who is officially allowed to work'.