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The differences between discharge planners and nurse externs 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 nurse extern. Additionally, a discharge planner has an average salary of $52,855, which is higher than the $37,156 average annual salary of a nurse extern.
The top three skills for a discharge planner include patients, social work and home health. The most important skills for a nurse extern are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Discharge Planner | Nurse Extern | |
| Yearly salary | $52,855 | $37,156 |
| Hourly rate | $25.41 | $17.86 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 31,021 | 569,180 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| 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.
The job of a nurse extern is to assist the mentor nurse in their nursing duties. They help the mentor nurse in various medical procedures such as administering medications or starting intravenous therapies. They provide or help with personal patient care, including changing bed linens, oral hygiene, and bathing. Nurse externships typically have different requirements that include having finished nursing school, completing a clinical nursing course before the training, and being registered in a nursing program.
Discharge planners and nurse externs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Discharge Planner | Nurse Extern | |
| Average salary | $52,855 | $37,156 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $82,000 | Between $29,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Huntington Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Menorah Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a discharge planner and a nurse extern in terms of educational background:
| Discharge Planner | Nurse Extern | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Emory University |
Here are the differences between discharge planners' and nurse externs' demographics:
| Discharge Planner | Nurse Extern | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4% | Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7% |
| 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, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 9.9% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |