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Family nurse practitioner vs oncology registered nurse

The differences between family nurse practitioners and oncology 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 family nurse practitioner and an oncology registered nurse. Additionally, a family nurse practitioner has an average salary of $100,541, which is higher than the $74,716 average annual salary of an oncology registered nurse.

The top three skills for a family nurse practitioner include patients, diagnosis and EMR. The most important skills for an oncology registered nurse are patients, acute care, and chemotherapy.

Family nurse practitioner vs oncology registered nurse overview

Family Nurse PractitionerOncology Registered Nurse
Yearly salary$100,541$74,716
Hourly rate$48.34$35.92
Growth rate40%6%
Number of jobs41,710636,524
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeMaster's Degree, 43%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4344
Years of experience22

What does a family nurse practitioner do?

A family nurse practitioner is a registered nurse with advanced practice in family-focused care. Nurse practitioners can provide patient care to both children and adults. They have a higher degree in training than registered nurses; thus, they are qualified to diagnose and provide treatment to complex body conditions. Their duties include developing treatment plans, performing diagnostic tests, screening evaluations, and prescribing medications. Also, they educate and guide patients on disease prevention and healthy lifestyle habits. Their advanced education and training allowed them to practice as a clinic and hospital administrators as well as policy-makers. Family nurse practitioners have to get a bachelor's degree in nursing, then take and passed NCLEX-RN to become a registered nurse then proceed to take a Master's degree to get a job as a family nurse practitioner.

What does an oncology registered nurse do?

An oncology registered nurse is in charge of taking care of patients with cancer. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with physicians to devise particular care plans for patients, monitoring their daily condition and progress, administering medicine, preparing nutritious meals, and evaluating treatment results, reporting to the physician should there be any issues. Furthermore, as an oncology registered nurse, it is vital to provide physical and emotional support to patients as the treatments tend to be stressful and emotionally tolling.

Family nurse practitioner vs oncology registered nurse salary

Family nurse practitioners and oncology registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Family Nurse PractitionerOncology Registered Nurse
Average salary$100,541$74,716
Salary rangeBetween $62,000 And $161,000Between $38,000 And $145,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CALos Angeles, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaCalifornia
Best paying companyFairview Health ServicesDignity Health
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between family nurse practitioner and oncology registered nurse education

There are a few differences between a family nurse practitioner and an oncology registered nurse in terms of educational background:

Family Nurse PractitionerOncology Registered Nurse
Most common degreeMaster's Degree, 43%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Family nurse practitioner vs oncology registered nurse demographics

Here are the differences between family nurse practitioners' and oncology registered nurses' demographics:

Family Nurse PractitionerOncology Registered Nurse
Average age4344
Gender ratioMale, 12.6% Female, 87.4%Male, 8.9% Female, 91.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 77.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage12%9%

Differences between family nurse practitioner and oncology registered nurse duties and responsibilities

Family nurse practitioner example responsibilities.

  • Manage chronic conditions such as diabetes hypothyroidism and hypertension by following evidence base and clinical guidelines for these conditions.
  • Manage acute illness and chronic health conditions including diabetes, hypertension, obesity and depression through a patient-centered, evidenced-base approach.
  • Manage appropriate changes to individualize care plan to ensure cost and time efficacy in an outpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation office.
  • Refer patients to specialists to provide additional care to patients whose diseases and conditions are outside the scope of FNP practice.
  • Full prescriptive rights with DEA certification.
  • Educate patients on side effects, complications and further planning with chemotherapy.
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Oncology registered nurse example responsibilities.

  • Develop and manage outpatient chemotherapy infusion area in a private Gyn and Gyn-Onc practice.
  • Display expert clinical skills in managing the progressive care of all categories of patients including bedside surgical procedures and chemotherapy administration.
  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Administer medications and treatment for patients monitor by telemetry.
  • Monitor stable and chronically ill patients using telemetry and mechanical ventilation methods.
  • Maintain an environment of compassion by providing psychological and emotional support to patients and families.
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Family nurse practitioner vs oncology registered nurse skills

Common family nurse practitioner skills
  • Patients, 30%
  • Diagnosis, 7%
  • EMR, 5%
  • Diagnostic Tests, 4%
  • Physical Exams, 4%
  • FNP, 3%
Common oncology registered nurse skills
  • Patients, 28%
  • Acute Care, 7%
  • Chemotherapy, 6%
  • Acls, 4%
  • Medical Oncology, 3%
  • Compassion, 3%

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