RN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does RN mean? 

• RN (noun)
  The noun RN has 2 senses:

1. a radioactive gaseous element formed by the disintegration of radium; the heaviest of the inert gasses; occurs naturally (especially in areas over granite) and is considered a hazard to health

2. a graduate nurse who has passed examinations for registration

  Familiarity information: RN used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A radioactive gaseous element formed by the disintegration of radium; the heaviest of the inert gasses; occurs naturally (especially in areas over granite) and is considered a hazard to health

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

atomic number 86; radon; Rn

Hypernyms ("Rn" is a kind of...):

chemical element; element (any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter)

argonon; inert gas; noble gas (any of the chemically inert gaseous elements of the helium group in the periodic table)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A graduate nurse who has passed examinations for registration

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

registered nurse; RN

Hypernyms ("RN" is a kind of...):

nurse (one skilled in caring for young children or the sick (usually under the supervision of a physician))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "RN"):

nurse-midwife (a registered nurse who has received special training as a midwife)

NP; nurse clinician; nurse practitioner (a registered nurse who has received special training and can perform many of the duties of a physician)

 Context examples 

A person who has completed a brief health-care training program, and who provides support services for RNs and LPNs.

(Certified Nurse Assistant, NCI Thesaurus)

A registered nurse (RN) with advanced training in diagnosing and treating illness.

(Nurse practitioner, NCI Thesaurus)

Nurses are educationally prepared as functional (LPN/LVN) or professional (RN).

(Nurse, NCI Thesaurus)

An advanced practice RN who functions as a health care provider, educator, consultant, researcher, leader/administrator and/or case manager.

(Certified Nurse Specialist, NCI Thesaurus)

The planet orbits very close to the star and is far less massive than Jupiter - 318 times Earth's mass - but has managed to accrete the primordial hydrogen/helium atmosphere that is largely 'unpolluted' by heavier elements, said Björn Benneke of the University of Montreal in Canada.

(Atmosphere of Midsize Planet Revealed by Hubble, Spitzer, NASA)