A nursery maid, or nursemaid, was traditionally a maid that took care of a wealthy family's children. During the Victorian era it came to refer to a worker who was hired to help the nurse (or nanny). The Nurse would care for the children, while the nursemaid would clean and care for the nursery, spending more time tending fires and dealing with laundry than actually raising the children.

This was a very junior position in the household, not significantly different in skillset from any other housemaid.