terminology: is emergency nursing acute?

[phosophorus]

does acute only mean ICU, or is the ER also referred to as acute? It seems acute, but then again huge percentages of the care is non-emergency and sub-acute so...

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

do you have a medical dictionary? look up the definition of the word acute to get your answer.

acute

- having rapid onset, severe symptoms, and a short course; not chronic

just below it is a listing for

acute care

- health care delivered to patients experiencing acute illness or trauma. acute care generally occurs in a hospital or emergency room and is generally short-term care rather than long-term, or chronic care.

all the above is from page 34 of taber's cyclopedic medical dictionary, 18th edition.

subacute

- between acute and chronic, but with some acute features, said of the course of a disease or of the healing process following tissue injury. (page 1852,

taber's cyclopedic medical dictionary

, 18th edition)

[phosophorus]

i know but... i'm writing a cover letter. In the hospital I've seen acute used as:

-icu only

-er + icu

-MS (they refer to ICU as critical, ER as emergency, and MS as acute).

I just don't want to break some lingo rule by calling ER acute care nursing.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Yes, emergency nursing is acute care nursing.