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Family nurse practitioner vs registered nurse

The differences between family nurse practitioners 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 family nurse practitioner and a registered nurse. Additionally, a family nurse practitioner has an average salary of $100,541, which is higher than the $73,349 average annual salary of a registered nurse.

The top three skills for a family nurse practitioner include patients, diagnosis and EMR. The most important skills for a registered nurse are patients, BLS, and CPR.

Family nurse practitioner vs registered nurse overview

Family Nurse PractitionerRegistered Nurse
Yearly salary$100,541$73,349
Hourly rate$48.34$35.26
Growth rate40%6%
Number of jobs41,710646,159
Job satisfaction-2.75
Most common degreeMaster's Degree, 43%Associate Degree, 46%
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 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.

Family nurse practitioner vs registered nurse salary

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

Family Nurse PractitionerRegistered Nurse
Average salary$100,541$73,349
Salary rangeBetween $62,000 And $161,000Between $45,000 And $117,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaCalifornia
Best paying companyFairview Health ServicesNORCAL Ambulance
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between family nurse practitioner and registered nurse education

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

Family Nurse PractitionerRegistered Nurse
Most common degreeMaster's Degree, 43%Associate Degree, 46%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Family nurse practitioner vs registered nurse demographics

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

Family Nurse PractitionerRegistered Nurse
Average age4344
Gender ratioMale, 12.6% Female, 87.4%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage12%9%

Differences between family nurse practitioner and 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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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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Family nurse practitioner vs registered nurse skills

Common family nurse practitioner skills
  • Patients, 30%
  • Diagnosis, 7%
  • EMR, 5%
  • Diagnostic Tests, 4%
  • Physical Exams, 4%
  • FNP, 3%
Common registered nurse skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • BLS, 10%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • Acls, 5%
  • Home Health, 4%

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