SOHN Glossary of Terms

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN): A registered nurse who has completed advanced graduate-level education (master’s or doctoral degree), national certification, and state licensure to practice in one of four roles—nurse practitioner (NP), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), nurse anesthetist (CRNA), or nurse midwife (CNM)—with population foci defined by the APRN Consensus Model.

Advocacy: The act of promoting and protecting the rights, health, and safety of patients and the nursing profession through individual and collective action.

Airway Management: A set of clinical interventions aimed at maintaining or restoring patency of the upper and lower airway to ensure adequate ventilation and oxygenation. In ORL nursing, this includes postoperative monitoring, tracheostomy care, suctioning, and managing airway emergencies in collaboration with the surgical and respiratory care team.

Assessment: A systematic, dynamic process by which the nurse-through interaction with the patient, family unit, and healthcare providers collects and analyzes data about the patient. Data may include the following dimensions: physical, psychological, sociocultural, spiritual, cognitive, developmental, economic, functional abilities, and lifestyle.

Audiology: The branch of science and clinical practice devoted to the study of hearing and balance disorders. ORL nurses collaborate with audiologists in screening, diagnostic testing, patient education, and follow-up care related to hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction.

Certification: The formal recognition of competence and professional expertise by a certifying body after completion of education, practice requirements, and examination.

Certified Otorhinolaryngology Registered Nurse (CORLN): The credential recognizes registered nurses who have demonstrated specialized knowledge, competence, and commitment to excellence in otorhinolaryngology nursing practice. CORLN-certified nurses uphold the highest standards of patient safety, clinical expertise, and leadership within the specialty.

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS): An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who applies advanced clinical expertise, evidence-based practice, and systems leadership to improve patient outcomes and influence nursing care within a defined specialty area or population. CNSs integrate clinical practice, education, consultation, research, and leadership to advance nursing practice, promote quality and safety, and support professional development across healthcare systems.
Consensus Model for APRN Regulation:
A national framework (APRN Consensus Work Group & NCSBN, 2008) that defines uniform standards for licensure, accreditation, certification, and education for APRNs across all states.

Credentialing:
The process by which healthcare organizations verify a nurse’s education, certification, licensure, and experience to ensure qualifications for clinical practice.

Diagnosis: A clinical judgment about the patient’s response to actual or potential health conditions or needs.  Diagnoses provide the basis for determining a care plan to achieve expected outcomes.

Differential Diagnosis:
The process of distinguishing between two or more conditions that share similar clinical features, often used by APRNs in advanced assessment and diagnostic reasoning.

Ethics: The principles that guide nursing practice, grounded in the ANA Code of Ethics, emphasizing respect, justice, autonomy, and beneficence.

Evidence-based practice: The integration of best existing nursing and medical research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values (Burns & Grove, 2005; Sackett, Straus, Richardson, Rosenberg & Haynes, 2000).

Full Practice Authority (FPA):
The ability of APRNs to practice independently to the full extent of their education and training, without mandated physician supervision, as recognized by law in some U.S. states.

Head and Neck Nursing: A nursing specialty focused on patients with conditions affecting the ear, nose, throat, head, and neck, including oncology, airway, and reconstructive care.

Holistic Care: A comprehensive approach that addresses the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of patients and their families.

Guidelines: Systematically developed statements based on available scientific evidence and expert opinion.  They describe a process of patient care management that can improve the quality of clinical and consumer decision making.

Head and Neck Oncology: A subspecialty within otorhinolaryngology focused on benign and malignant tumors of the head, neck, and upper aerodigestive tract. ORL nurses and APRNs provide care throughout the cancer continuum, from diagnosis and surgery to radiation, chemotherapy, reconstruction, and survivorship.

Head and Neck Reconstruction: A surgical specialty addressing restoration of form and function following trauma, tumor resection, or congenital anomalies. ORL nurses coordinate perioperative care, wound management, flap monitoring, and rehabilitation support for optimal recovery and quality of life.

Healthcare providers: Individuals with special expertise who provide health- care services or assistance to patients (e.g., nurses, physicians, psychologists, social workers, nutritionists/dietitians, speech language pathologists, physical therapists, and a variety of other therapists). Providers may also include service organizations and vendors.

Interprofessional Collaboration in ORL: A cooperative partnership among nurses, surgeons, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, respiratory therapists, and other professionals to coordinate comprehensive, patient-centered care for individuals with complex head and neck conditions.

Laryngology: The study and treatment of diseases and disorders of the larynx (voice box) and related structures, including dysphonia, airway stenosis, and swallowing disorders. ORL nurses play a vital role in pre- and post-procedure education, airway surveillance, and interdisciplinary voice rehabilitation.

Leadership: The process of influencing and motivating others to achieve professional, organizational, and patient-centered goals.

Licensure: Legal authorization granted by a state board of nursing allowing a nurse or APRN to practice within defined parameters.

National Certifying Board of Otorhinolaryngology and Head-Neck Nurses: The National Certifying Board of Otorhinolaryngology and Head-Neck Nurses (NCBOHN) is the credentialing body responsible for promoting excellence and professionalism in otorhinolaryngology nursing through certification.

Nursing: The diagnosis and treatment of human responses to actual or potential health problems.

Nurse practitioner: A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who has completed graduate-level education (master’s or doctoral degree), achieved national board certification, and obtained state licensure to provide advanced, comprehensive, and autonomous healthcare services. NPs assess, diagnose, and manage acute and chronic health conditions; prescribe medications and treatments; and promote health and disease prevention. They practice independently and collaboratively across diverse healthcare settings, integrating clinical expertise with evidence-based practice to deliver patient-centered, high-quality care.

Otology / Neurotology: Subspecialties of otorhinolaryngology that address diseases of the ear and related neural structures, including hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, and skull base disorders. ORL nurses support diagnostic evaluation, surgical assistance, patient counseling, and postoperative monitoring in collaboration with the care team.

Otorhinolaryngology (ORL). The branch of medicine dealing with disease of the ear, nose, and throat; also called Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

ORL Nurse: A registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, or APRN who provides care to patients with otorhinolaryngologic disorders across settings such as clinics, operating rooms, hospitals, and specialty practices.

Privileging: The process by which a healthcare organization authorizes an APRN or nurse to perform specific procedures or patient care activities based on demonstrated competence and training.

Professional Development: Ongoing education and experience that enhance knowledge, skills, and leadership in clinical and academic practice.

Quality Improvement (QI): A systematic, data-driven approach to improving processes, outcomes, and patient safety within healthcare organizations.

Rhinology: A subspecialty of otorhinolaryngology focusing on the medical and surgical management of nasal and sinus disorders, including allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, and skull base pathology. ORL nurses assist in endoscopic procedures, patient education, and postoperative sinus care.

Scope of ORL Advanced Practice Nursing: The range of roles and responsibilities undertaken by APRNs—Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs)—in otorhinolaryngology, encompassing advanced assessment, diagnostic reasoning, procedural competence, research, policy leadership, and interprofessional collaboration to optimize patient outcomes.

Scope of Practice: The boundaries and parameters of nursing practice defined by education, licensure, certification, and organizational policies, outlining what nurses are authorized to do.

Simulation-Based Learning: A teaching strategy that uses realistic clinical scenarios to enhance knowledge, critical thinking, and technical skills.

Sinonasal Surgery: Surgical interventions within the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, often performed endoscopically to treat chronic rhinosinusitis, polyposis, or neoplasms. ORL nurses support preoperative preparation, intraoperative assistance, and postoperative care, including nasal irrigation education.

Society of otorhinolaryngology and head-neck nurses (SOHN). A specialty organization dedicated to advancing excellence in ORL nursing through education, research, leadership, and collaboration. The membership consists of Registered Nurses (RNs), Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPNs), and RN Students.

Speech and Swallowing Rehabilitation: A multidisciplinary process involving nurses, speech-language pathologists, and other specialists to optimize communication and swallowing function after head and neck surgery or radiation. ORL nurses facilitate assessment, patient education, and referral coordination.

Standards of care: Authoritative statements that describe a competent level of clinical nursing practice demonstrated through assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Standards of nursing practice: Authoritative statements that describe a level of care or performance common to the profession of nursing by which the quality of nursing practice can be judged. Standards of clinical nursing practice include both standards of care and standards of professional performance.

Standards of professional performance: Authoritative statements that describe a competent level of behavior in the professional role, including activities related to quality of care, performance appraisal, education, collegiality, ethics, collaboration, research, resource utilization, and leadership.

Stoma Care: The management of surgical openings created for airway (tracheostomy) or nutritional access, focusing on skin integrity, hygiene, infection prevention, and patient education to promote independence and safety.

Telehealth: The use of technology to deliver healthcare and education remotely, expanding access to ORL care and follow-up.

Tracheostomy Care: The comprehensive management of patients with temporary or permanent tracheostomies, including airway suctioning, stoma care, humidification, and emergency management of accidental decannulation or obstruction. Competence in tracheostomy care is a core skill for ORL nurses and APRNs.

Vestibular Disorders: Conditions affecting the balance system of the inner ear, such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Ménière’s disease, and vestibular neuritis. ORL nurses provide patient education, safety guidance, and coordination of vestibular rehabilitation therapy.