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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 | Registered Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $52,855 | $73,349 |
| Hourly rate | $25.41 | $35.26 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 31,021 | 646,159 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2.75 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Associate Degree, 46% |
| 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 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 planners and registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Discharge Planner | Registered Nurse | |
| Average salary | $52,855 | $73,349 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $82,000 | Between $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 |
There are a few differences between a discharge planner and a registered nurse in terms of educational background:
| Discharge Planner | Registered Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Associate Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Duke University |
Here are the differences between discharge planners' and registered nurses' demographics:
| Discharge Planner | Registered Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4% | Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |