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The differences between discharge planners and school 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 school nurse. Additionally, a school nurse has an average salary of $54,998, 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 school nurse are CPR, school health, and health education.
| Discharge Planner | School Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $52,855 | $54,998 |
| Hourly rate | $25.41 | $26.44 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 31,021 | 282,124 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| 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 school nurse is in charge of advocating and providing healthcare services to students, faculty, and staff daily. Their responsibilities revolve around providing necessary treatments to someone in need, developing programs that promote students' health, and administering proper medication. When a school nurse must reach out to parents to inform them of their children's visits or any emergencies, it must be documented. Furthermore, a school nurse must appropriately store all equipment and medication in adherence to the school's safety and health standards.
Discharge planners and school nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Discharge Planner | School Nurse | |
| Average salary | $52,855 | $54,998 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $82,000 | Between $39,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Providence, RI |
| Highest paying state | - | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | - | Preston High School |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a discharge planner and a school nurse in terms of educational background:
| Discharge Planner | School Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Duke University |
Here are the differences between discharge planners' and school nurses' demographics:
| Discharge Planner | School Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4% | Male, 6.3% Female, 93.7% |
| 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, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |