The Catholic church distinguishes between SIMPLE vows and SOLEMN vows when it comes to religious orders.
Technically, only those who take SOLEMN vows are ACTUAL "nuns". They have chosen a monastic life, spiritually "died" and completely given up their PAST secular lives, and dedicate themselves to constant prayer and missionary activity.
Those who take "simple" vows are more accurately known as "religious sisters", not actual "nuns", per say. They've just made some sort of commitment to a profession as a member of a religious institute within the Catholic Church, but are NOT bound by the strict "rules" or code of conduct that monastics are pledged to their entire lives, such as nuns having to wear a habit, or monks having to cut a lock of their hair.
In the case of Sister Dede, she has spent a life as a cloistered nun and is currently the Mother Superior of the D.C. chapter Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts house near Catholic University, where the sisters run a pro-bono physical therapy clinic and diabetic eye clinic, retirement home for her elderly sisters as well as a music school pre-school children. She's also an M.D., a surgeon, and an Army verteran, having retired with the rank of Colonel from the United States Army in 2009 after 29 years of service in the military as a member of the U.S. Army Medical Corps.
"Sister" Simone Campbell, on the other hand, had a private sector career as a lawyer, and is a member of the Orwellian "Sisters of Social Service". She is a political lobbyist and leader of "NETWORK", some rogue Catholic "social justice" organization that was under investigation by Pope Benedict XVI for preaching “Radical Feminism” and was rebuked because she publicly went against the Catholic position by endorsing Obamacare.
The difference is clear as night and day.
I wrote post #14 before I saw your post #13.
I think the more important distinction is that sisters/nuns do not receive the sacrament of holy orders, they are not “ordained” in any way, and have neither its privileges or obligations.