For nurse practitioners, the average number of years in practice decreased from 9.3 in 2012 to 8.9 in 2013, indicating an increasing number of new graduates entering the profession. For physician assistants, that number dropped from 12.37 years in 2012 to 11.97 in 2013, a 3.23% decrease.
â¢ GESTATION (noun). The noun GESTATION has 3 senses: 1. the period during which an embryo develops (about 266 days in humans). 2. the state of being pregnant; the period from conception to birth when a woman carries a developing fetus in her uterus. 3. the conception and development of an idea or plan.
gestation period - the period during which an embryo develops (about 266 days in humans) gestation. biological time - the time of various biological processes. full term, term - the end of gestation or point at which birth is imminent; a healthy baby born at full term. midterm - the middle of the gestation period. trimester - a period of three months; especially one of the three three-month periods into which human pregnancy is divided.