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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 | Registered Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $100,541 | $73,349 |
| Hourly rate | $48.34 | $35.26 |
| Growth rate | 40% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 41,710 | 646,159 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2.75 |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 43% | Associate Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
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 practitioners and registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Family Nurse Practitioner | Registered Nurse | |
| Average salary | $100,541 | $73,349 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $161,000 | Between $45,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Fairview Health Services | NORCAL Ambulance |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a family nurse practitioner and a registered nurse in terms of educational background:
| Family Nurse Practitioner | Registered Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 43% | Associate Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between family nurse practitioners' and registered nurses' demographics:
| Family Nurse Practitioner | Registered Nurse | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.6% Female, 87.4% | Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7% |
| Race ratio | Black 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 Percentage | 12% | 9% |