A
nurse registry,
nursing
registry, or
register of nurses is a list of
nurses who are legally licensed to practice nursing. The
register is maintained by the licensing body designated
by law to regulate the profession. This is the source of
the legal title "Registered Nurse". Usually each nurse
is issued a unique identification or license number.
More information about registration
and regulation can be found under country headings in
the article
Nurse.
In the United States, the term
nurse registry is also commonly used to refer to a
nursing agency, a private business which provides per
diem or locum tenens nursing personnel to hospitals,
medical offices and individuals.