primary nursing


pri·mar·y nurs·ing

(prī'mar-ē nŭrs'ing) A method of providing nursing services to inpatients whereby one nurse plans the care of specific patients for a period of 24 hours. The primary nurse provides direct care to those patients when working and is responsible for directing and supervising their care in collaboration with other health care team members.

primary nursing

A nursing system in which all nursing care for a patient is managed by one nurse for a 24-hr period. Primary nursing includes scheduling of activities, tests, and procedures. See also: nursing