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Emergency room nurse vs registered nurse

The differences between emergency room nurses 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 an emergency room nurse and a registered nurse. Additionally, an emergency room nurse has an average salary of $79,886, which is higher than the $73,349 average annual salary of a registered nurse.

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

Emergency room nurse vs registered nurse overview

Emergency Room NurseRegistered Nurse
Yearly salary$79,886$73,349
Hourly rate$38.41$35.26
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs610,768646,159
Job satisfaction-2.75
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Associate Degree, 46%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

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 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.

Emergency room nurse vs registered nurse salary

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

Emergency Room NurseRegistered Nurse
Average salary$79,886$73,349
Salary rangeBetween $50,000 And $126,000Between $45,000 And $117,000
Highest paying CityUrban Honolulu, HISan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiCalifornia
Best paying companyBaptist Health CareNORCAL Ambulance
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between emergency room nurse and registered nurse education

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

Emergency Room NurseRegistered Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Associate Degree, 46%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Emergency room nurse vs registered nurse demographics

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

Emergency Room NurseRegistered Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 19.8% Female, 80.2%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
Race ratioBlack 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, 11.3% 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 emergency room nurse and registered 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.
  • 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.
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Emergency room nurse vs registered nurse skills

Common emergency room nurse skills
  • Patients, 22%
  • BLS, 14%
  • Acls, 10%
  • Triage, 6%
  • Acute Care, 6%
  • TNCC, 4%
Common registered nurse skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • BLS, 10%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • Acls, 5%
  • Home Health, 4%

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