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Family practitioner vs psychiatric nurse

The differences between family practitioners and psychiatric nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a family practitioner, becoming a psychiatric nurse takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a family practitioner has an average salary of $180,399, which is higher than the $64,922 average annual salary of a psychiatric nurse.

The top three skills for a family practitioner include family medicine, patients and family practice. The most important skills for a psychiatric nurse are patients, mental illness, and CPR.

Family practitioner vs psychiatric nurse overview

Family PractitionerPsychiatric Nurse
Yearly salary$180,399$64,922
Hourly rate$86.73$31.21
Growth rate7%6%
Number of jobs50,599608,055
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 42%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age4844
Years of experience42

What does a family practitioner do?

Family practitioners are medical professionals who are responsible for providing care for an entire family in small and rural communities. By using their knowledge in the medical profession, these doctors are required to diagnose and treat a variety of medical issues while referring patients to an appropriate specialist if medical problems are outside their range of practice. They must participate in well-care visits with their patients to monitor the development of their health as well as perform routine tests such as cholesterol tests and blood pressure readings. Family practitioners must also help women give birth to a child.

What does a psychiatric nurse do?

A Psychiatric Nurses role is to supervise the medication and treatment of patients diagnosed with mental disabilities, illnesses, or distresses. They have an essential role in the administration of psychiatric treatment and care.

Family practitioner vs psychiatric nurse salary

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

Family PractitionerPsychiatric Nurse
Average salary$180,399$64,922
Salary rangeBetween $90,000 And $359,000Between $42,000 And $99,000
Highest paying CityPhiladelphia, PASanta Rosa, CA
Highest paying stateFloridaRhode Island
Best paying companyPeaceHealthHighland General Hospital
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between family practitioner and psychiatric nurse education

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

Family PractitionerPsychiatric Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 42%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common majorMedicineNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Family practitioner vs psychiatric nurse demographics

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

Family PractitionerPsychiatric Nurse
Average age4844
Gender ratioMale, 40.1% Female, 59.9%Male, 18.1% Female, 81.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 19.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage13%9%

Differences between family practitioner and psychiatric nurse duties and responsibilities

Family practitioner example responsibilities.

  • Manage family health problems, examine patients, perform physical examination.
  • Manage conditions including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypothyroidism, asthma, and GERD.
  • Provide examination, testing, diagnosis, treatment, referral and follow- up care for newborn through geriatrics.
  • Provide residential care and emergency medical treatment to incapacitate elderly patients
  • Operate electrocardiogram equipment to administer diagnostic testing (EKG).
  • Ensure patient and family understanding of diagnosis treatment and all accompanying relevant information.
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Psychiatric nurse example responsibilities.

  • Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
  • Staff register nurse, acute medical rehabilitation unit.
  • Perform emergency triage differentiating psychiatric versus medical conditions.
  • Perform triage assessment, psychiatric evaluations, medication administration, psychotherapy and case management.
  • Provide comprehensive medical-psychiatric care to patients via assessment, planning, evaluation and supervision of therapeutic interactions.
  • Provide therapeutic communication and psychiatric rehabilitation with residents to assist with their recovery to return to the community.
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Family practitioner vs psychiatric nurse skills

Common family practitioner skills
  • Family Medicine, 32%
  • Patients, 25%
  • Family Practice, 12%
  • Internal Medicine, 8%
  • Urgent Care, 7%
  • Pediatrics, 6%
Common psychiatric nurse skills
  • Patients, 25%
  • Mental Illness, 11%
  • CPR, 7%
  • Therapeutic Interventions, 5%
  • Psychiatric Care, 4%
  • IV, 4%

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