People and Workflow
These terms name the people, places, and routines of hospital work. They are learned as whole vocabulary, not decoded from word parts.
| Term | What it usually means in hospital dialogue |
|---|---|
| attending | fully trained physician supervising a patient's care and often supervising trainees |
| resident | physician training in a specialty after medical school |
| intern | first-year resident in common US usage |
| fellow | physician receiving advanced subspecialty training after residency |
| medical student / med student | student who has not yet qualified as a physician |
| charge nurse | nurse coordinating a unit or shift |
| paramedic | prehospital clinician providing emergency care and transport |
| consult | request for another specialist's evaluation; also the specialist's response |
| service | clinical team or specialty responsible for care, as in "the trauma service" |
| rounds | structured visits/discussion in which a team reviews patients |
| sign-out / handoff | transfer of patient information and responsibility between clinicians |
| admit | bring a patient into the hospital for inpatient care |
| discharge | release a patient from a care setting with a plan |
| transfer | move a patient to another unit or facility |
| OR | operating room |
| ED / ER | emergency department / emergency room |
| ICU | intensive care unit |
| CCU | coronary/cardiac care unit or critical care unit, depending on the hospital |
| chart | the patient's medical record |
| orders | clinician instructions for tests, monitoring, medications, diet, or care |