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practical nurse
noun
: a nurse who cares for the sick professionally without having the training or experience required of a registered nurse
especially
: licensed practical nurse
Examples of practical nurse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Along with Hussin, the van, which is stocked with medication and equipment, including an ultrasound machine, is staffed with a doctor, practical nurse, lab technician and a medical assistant.
—D. Parvaz, NPR, 4 Mar. 2024
Nurses delegate more straightforward clinical roles to licensed practical nurses.
—Jordan Rau, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2023
After admitting Betty, a practical nurse collected her vital signs.
—Niran Al-Agba, The New Republic, 21 Feb. 2022
Prosecutors said since DeVuono is a nurse practitioner and Urraro is a license practical nurse, the two were able to enter false information into New York's immunization database.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2022
In the back, Eboni, a glamorous, gregarious practical nurse from Oklahoma City, race-walked in scrubs and running shoes to read her computer screen.
—Katie Watson, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2021
His explorations may lead to the finding of our young heroines, but his constant, prolonged absences mean that their care falls to his long-suffering niece, Sylvia, and her ever-practical nurse, Nana.
—Sarah Schutte, National Review, 10 Oct. 2021
According to her obituary, Allen was educated at Wallace State Community College with the goal of becoming a registered practical nurse.
—William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 27 Sep. 2021
Celina Sotomayor worked for 35 years at Prospect Hospital in the South Bronx, first as a telephone operator, then as a practical nurse.
—Ariane De Vogue, CNN, 26 July 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'practical nurse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1921, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near practical nurse
Cite this Entry
“Practical nurse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/practical%20nurse. Accessed 16 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
practical nurse
noun
: a nurse who cares for the sick professionally without having the training or experience required of a registered nurse
especially
: licensed practical nurse
Medical Definition
practical nurse
noun
prac·ti·cal nurse
ˈprak-ti-kəl-
: a nurse who cares for the sick professionally without having the training or experience required of a registered nurse
especially
: licensed practical nurse
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