American words, what do they mean?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Please help.

What do these words mean?

ADN

LPN

LVN

PRN

Thanks in advance for your time.

fergus51

6,620 Posts

ADN= associate's degree nurse. This is a 2+ year college program that grants and associate's degree as opposed to a bachelors of science in nursing (BSN). Both BSNs and ADNs write the same lisencing exam and work as RNs.

LPN= Licensed practical nurse. Usually have 1+ year of college training. They have a different job description from RNs and write a different lisencing exam. Their scope of practice depends greatly on the individual state and hospital.

LVN= Licensed vocational nurse. Basically just another name for LPN and we all know a rose by any other name....

PRN= per diem workers. These nurses generally do not have a regular hospital schedule. They let the hospital know when they are available and will get called in when needed on those shifts. Some of them are agency and some are employed directly by the hospital.

GracefulRN

119 Posts

Specializes in CCU.

ADN-Associates (2 year degree) Degree in Nursing

LPN/LVN- Licensced Professional/Vocational nurse; means the same thing.

1 year of intensive study

PRN-latin pro re nata (translates to for the emergency,as needed ) As I understand it, it mean nurses who are not full time but work on an "as needed" basis.

Hope that helps

Graceful

zulu1

40 Posts

Thanks all. Its all different from UK where we have only Registered nurse and Enrolled Nurse.

BRANDY LPN

408 Posts

PRN can also be used to describe medicine, as in Darvocet take one or two po (by mouth) Q (every) 4-6 hours PRN pain. meaning take only if needed for pain and not routinely.

rica75

72 Posts

I have been all over this web site and don't have a clue as to what LOL means. I see it everywhere. Have I been living under a rock?

BRANDY LPN

408 Posts

I have been all over this web site and don't have a clue as to what LOL means. I see it everywhere. Have I been living under a rock?

LOL- laughing out loud

LMAO- laughing my *** off

ROFLMAO- rolling on floor laughing my *** off.

June55Baby

226 Posts

Since this seems to be a good place to ask this question..... what does "noc" mean. As in "I was on-line last noc......"

Thanks!

eltrip

691 Posts

Specializes in Clinical Risk Management.

noc=night, pm

Mandarella

280 Posts

Specializes in Hey I'm now an RN!!.

What does *BUMP* mean???? Someone wrote it in a post to me but I have no idea what that is..

Repat

335 Posts

People often write a reply to a post just to "bump" it up in line for more views and some more replies. Sometimes you see someone replying to their own post to "bump" it up to current viewing.

prn refers to how a person is scheduled, or not. Licensed Vocational Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses are the same thing, but LVN's are in Texas and California only (I think). They are licensed nurses. Registered Nurses have more education and more responsibility, and are also licensed. LVNs/LPN/RN can all work fulltime, part-time or prn. Hope that helps.

What is the difference between Enrolled nurse and Registered Nurse?

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