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The differences between discharge planners and clinical research nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a discharge planner and a clinical research nurse. Additionally, a clinical research nurse has an average salary of $60,347, which is higher than the $52,855 average annual salary of a discharge planner.
The top three skills for a discharge planner include patients, social work and home health. The most important skills for a clinical research nurse are patients, BLS, and acute care.
| Discharge Planner | Clinical Research Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $52,855 | $60,347 |
| Hourly rate | $25.41 | $29.01 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 31,021 | 703,983 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
In the health industry, a discharge planner is primarily responsible for assessing and meeting the patients' needs as they transition to their lives after being in the hospital. It is their duty to study the patients' medical history, provide discharge summaries to the patients' insurance providers, arrange services with external parties such as rehabilitation centers or therapists, and develop discharge plans that would guide the patients' on their journey to recovery. Moreover, they coordinate with medical experts and work with the patients' families to ensure the patient's welfare.
A clinical research nurse is responsible for conducting research studies on various health conditions, illness treatments, and healthcare methodologies, analyzing existing scientific research to make new reports. Clinical research nurses also communicate with other health professionals and health organizations for their insights and recommendations for a specific medical study, ensuring to report their findings to doctors and medical researchers for further validation and clinical trials. A clinical research nurse must have excellent knowledge of communication, both written and spoken, as well as expertise in the medical industry.
Discharge planners and clinical research nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Discharge Planner | Clinical Research Nurse | |
| Average salary | $52,855 | $60,347 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $82,000 | Between $44,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a discharge planner and a clinical research nurse in terms of educational background:
| Discharge Planner | Clinical Research Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Duke University |
Here are the differences between discharge planners' and clinical research nurses' demographics:
| Discharge Planner | Clinical Research Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4% | Male, 10.9% Female, 89.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 9.7% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |