<P> A nursemaid (or nursery maid) is a mostly historical term for a female domestic worker who cares for children within a large household . The term implies that she is an assistant to an older and more experienced employee, a role usually known as nurse or nanny . A family wealthy enough to have multiple servants looking after the children would have a large domestic staff, traditionally within a strict hierarchy, and a large house (or possibly several, such as the townhouse and country house) with nursery quarters . </P> <P> The term' nursemaid' has wide historical use, mostly related to servants charged with the actual care of children . In ancient usage the terms' nursemaid' and' nurse' (as, for example, the character in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet) are largely interchangeable . Everything that a parent ordinarily might do, especially the more onerous tasks, could be turned over to a nursemaid . Feeding very young children and supervising somewhat older children at meal times, seeing that the children are dressed properly, watching over the children as they play outside, and other such tasks could be left to a nursemaid . </P>

Where did the term nursemaid elbow come from