First aid nurse vs operating room assistant

The differences between first aid nurses and operating room assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a first aid nurse and an operating room assistant. Additionally, an operating room assistant has an average salary of $34,177, which is higher than the $30,521 average annual salary of a first aid nurse.

The top three skills for a first aid nurse include first-aid, EMT and emergency situations. The most important skills for an operating room assistant are patients, surgery, and anesthesia.

First aid nurse vs operating room assistant overview

	First Aid Nurse	Operating Room Assistant
Yearly salary	$30,521	$34,177
Hourly rate	$14.67	$16.43
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	34,701	218,839
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	3	3

First aid nurse vs operating room assistant salary

First aid nurses and operating room assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	First Aid Nurse	Operating Room Assistant
Average salary	$30,521	$34,177
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $44,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Monica, CA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between first aid nurse and operating room assistant education

There are a few differences between a first aid nurse and an operating room assistant in terms of educational background:

	First Aid Nurse	Operating Room Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Nursing	Business
Most common college	-	-

First aid nurse vs operating room assistant demographics

Here are the differences between first aid nurses' and operating room assistants' demographics:

	First Aid Nurse	Operating Room Assistant
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0%	Male, 46.8% Female, 53.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 7.1% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between first aid nurse and operating room assistant duties and responsibilities

First aid nurse example responsibilities.

Graduate from EMT training class.
Participate as a first aid responder during football and basketball games.
Work with the local fire department and EMT teams to provide first aid for the local community.
Volunteer for numerous public duties, including concerts and sporting events, as part of a first responder team
Set up rooms with suctioning device, temperature probe, pressure cuff, EKG, and respiratory monitoring for new admissions.
Educate students and professionals on the importance and techniques of providing CPR and first aid to those experiencing a medical emergency.

Operating room assistant example responsibilities.

Manage facility organization and cleanliness, maximizing the utilization of the facility and the efficiency of athlete's training routines.
Attach electrodes to patients in order to monitor electrocardiogram [EKG].
Obtain specimens, perform CPR, provide first aid, and check vital signs.
Facilitate patient safety while under anesthesia and awaking from anesthesia.
Review all group booking reports (Delphi).
Aid surgeons in suturing and management of trauma patients.

First aid nurse vs operating room assistant skills

Common first aid nurse skills

First-Aid, 32%
EMT, 10%
Emergency Situations, 8%
BLS, 6%
Patient Care, 5%
Safety Equipment, 5%

Common operating room assistant skills

Patients, 34%
Surgery, 11%
Anesthesia, 5%
Room Turnover, 4%
Direct Patient Care, 3%
Cleanliness, 3%

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First Aid Nurse
First Aid Nurse vs Operating Room Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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