Emergency room nurse vs operating room nurse

The differences between emergency room nurses and operating room nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an emergency room nurse and an operating room nurse. Additionally, an emergency room nurse has an average salary of $79,886, which is higher than the $68,255 average annual salary of an operating room nurse.

The top three skills for an emergency room nurse include patients, BLS and acls. The most important skills for an operating room nurse are patients, BLS, and acls.

Emergency room nurse vs operating room nurse overview

	Emergency Room Nurse	Operating Room Nurse
Yearly salary	$79,886	$68,255
Hourly rate	$38.41	$32.81
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	610,768	545,487
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

What does an emergency room nurse do?

As the name entails, emergency room nurses typically work in emergency rooms of hospitals to provide care for patients in need of immediate treatment for severe medical conditions such as injury or trauma. They work with a team of healthcare professionals such as physicians and other nurses to administer medications to patients, monitor health conditions, and plan for long-term care needs. Other duties of emergency room nurses include assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of patients, maintaining a sanitary, organized, and clean work environment, and providing patients with follow-up care instructions.

What does an operating room nurse do?

An Operating Room Nurse assists surgeons during operations and keeps the operating room sterile at all times. They ensure that patients are ready for transport to the recovery room.

Emergency room nurse vs operating room nurse salary

Emergency room nurses and operating room nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Emergency Room Nurse	Operating Room Nurse
Average salary	$79,886	$68,255
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $126,000	Between $42,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	Urban Honolulu, HI	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Hawaii
Best paying company	Baptist Health Care	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between emergency room nurse and operating room nurse education

There are a few differences between an emergency room nurse and an operating room nurse in terms of educational background:

	Emergency Room Nurse	Operating Room Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Emergency room nurse vs operating room nurse demographics

Here are the differences between emergency room nurses' and operating room nurses' demographics:

	Emergency Room Nurse	Operating Room Nurse
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 19.8% Female, 80.2%	Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between emergency room nurse and operating room nurse duties and responsibilities

Emergency room nurse example responsibilities.

Manage Gyn complaints, in- cluding colposcopy, infertility and minor surgical procedures.
Manage assessments, nursing diagnosis, precept newly employees, rotation from ICU to ER.
Assess patients in active withdrawal and provide interventions to manage physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms.
Care for GYN patients immediately after surgery and until discharge.
Perform CPR and a for patients to restore heart and breathing functions.
Provide conscious sedation for patients in endoscopy department.

Operating room nurse example responsibilities.

Post op surgery assist recovery nurse with obtaining vitals signs and attaching EKG leads and oxygen.
Achieve departmental goals and objectives by instituting SGNA standards and processes for inpatient and outpatient care.
Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
General surgery, ortho, GU, GI and ENT and dentals.
Complete BLS and ACLS certification.
Specialize in GYN, urology and orthopedics.

Emergency room nurse vs operating room nurse skills

Common emergency room nurse skills

Patients, 22%
BLS, 14%
Acls, 10%
Triage, 6%
Acute Care, 6%
TNCC, 4%

Common operating room nurse skills

Patients, 21%
BLS, 13%
Acls, 7%
Surgical Procedures, 4%
PACU, 3%
Pre-op, 3%

Emergency Room Nurse vs. similar jobs

Emergency Room Nurse related careers

Emergency Room Nurse related jobs

Emergency Room Nurse jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Emergency Room Nurse
Emergency Room Nurse vs Operating Room Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs