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Discharge planner vs registered nurse

The differences between discharge planners and registered 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 registered nurse. Additionally, a registered nurse has an average salary of $73,349, 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 registered nurse are patients, BLS, and CPR.

Discharge planner vs registered nurse overview

Discharge PlannerRegistered Nurse
Yearly salary$52,855$73,349
Hourly rate$25.41$35.26
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs31,021646,159
Job satisfaction-2.75
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Associate Degree, 46%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does a discharge planner do?

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.

What does a registered nurse do?

The primary responsibilities of a registered nurse involve caring for a variety of patients, from ill and injured to those who are healthy and wanting to stay that way. Nurses have different specialization and work with particular patients, such as newborn babies or those who are suffering from particular medical conditions. They work on different settings which includes hospital, outpatient facility, rehabilitation center, nursing home, dialysis center, home healthcare agency, and other offices. They can administer medications, wound care, and other aids or treatment plan. They also conduct medical tests, interpret the results, and monitor patients' recovery and progress.

Discharge planner vs registered nurse salary

Discharge planners and registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Discharge PlannerRegistered Nurse
Average salary$52,855$73,349
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $82,000Between $45,000 And $117,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-NORCAL Ambulance
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between discharge planner and registered nurse education

There are a few differences between a discharge planner and a registered nurse in terms of educational background:

Discharge PlannerRegistered Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Associate Degree, 46%
Most common majorSocial WorkNursing
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborDuke University

Discharge planner vs registered nurse demographics

Here are the differences between discharge planners' and registered nurses' demographics:

Discharge PlannerRegistered Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 13.6% Female, 86.4%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
Race ratioBlack 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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between discharge planner and registered nurse duties and responsibilities

Discharge planner example responsibilities.

  • Manage full caseload of patients providing both supportive and educational counseling as well as utilization review and case management services.
  • Assist patients with completing Medicaid applications.
  • Coordinate and facilitate patient placement post discharge in clinical facilities, including SNF and rehabilitation programs.
  • Maintain verbal contact with family/petitioner, in compliance with HIPAA and JCAHO policy, with regards to consumer needs.
  • Facilitate transportation prior to approval from Medicaid including ambulance transfer.
  • Follow and adhere to facility policies and procedures implementing HIPAA requirements
  • Show more

Registered nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient care for individuals with multiple diagnoses including COPD, diabetes, stroke and cardiac issues.
  • Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
  • Manage surgical recovery patients including vascular, ENT, GI urological and neurological cases, coronary bypass surgery patients.
  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Provide care for cardiac patients in arrhythmia critical care unit, providing patient education and monitoring telemetry
  • Re-Cover surgical patients immediately after heart and vascular surgery until transfer out of ICU.
  • Show more

Discharge planner vs registered nurse skills

Common discharge planner skills
  • Patients, 23%
  • Social Work, 18%
  • Home Health, 5%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • Patient Care, 4%
  • Social Services, 3%
Common registered nurse skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • BLS, 10%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • Acls, 5%
  • Home Health, 4%

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