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Home care nurse vs nurse

The differences between home care nurses and 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 home care nurse and a nurse. Additionally, a nurse has an average salary of $57,564, which is higher than the $53,762 average annual salary of a home care nurse.

The top three skills for a home care nurse include patients, home health and CPR. The most important skills for a nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.

Home care nurse vs nurse overview

Home Care NurseNurse
Yearly salary$53,762$57,564
Hourly rate$25.85$27.68
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs692,730696,124
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 35%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does a home care nurse do?

A home care nurse is responsible for providing quality health care for patients, usually in a private home setting. Home care nurses monitor patients' conditions and their medication and other treatments as prescribed by the attending physician or other health care professionals. They assist with the patients' daily activities such as bathing, feeding, and performing procedures such as taking the patients' temperature and vital signs, collecting specimens, and updating their medical chart.

What does a nurse do?

Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.

Home care nurse vs nurse salary

Home care nurses and nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Home Care NurseNurse
Average salary$53,762$57,564
Salary rangeBetween $34,000 And $84,000Between $38,000 And $86,000
Highest paying CityEugene, ORSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateOregonCalifornia
Best paying companyOverlake Medical Center & ClinicsConviva
Best paying industryHealth CareGovernment

Differences between home care nurse and nurse education

There are a few differences between a home care nurse and a nurse in terms of educational background:

Home Care NurseNurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 35%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Home care nurse vs nurse demographics

Here are the differences between home care nurses' and nurses' demographics:

Home Care NurseNurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 13.5% Female, 86.5%Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between home care nurse and nurse duties and responsibilities

Home care nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient care monitoring vital signs, performing physical assessment, checking patients medications for effectiveness.
  • Enter the nursing profession working in an ICU step down unit, with medical and surgical patients.
  • Care for many patients with complex issues with compassion and care and enhances the standard of care within the clinical area.
  • Provide care for pediatric patients with chronic illnesses and pediatric ventilator and tracheostomy patients.
  • Provide home dialysis services to patients receiving rehabilitation in a nursing home setting utilizing NxStage machines.
  • Monitor cardiac rhythms and treat per ACLS protocols
  • Show more

Nurse example responsibilities.

  • Monitor patients' status during surgery (circulate in operating room) and manage patients in PACU.
  • Manage high-acuity cardiac/pulmonary and psychiatric patients
  • Monitor patients for cardiac rhythm changes and implement medication according to ACLS guidelines.
  • Educate patients and families on diseases processes, medications, wind care, and iv infusion.
  • Provide care for patients on medical/surgical, transplant, cardiac, orthopedic, postpartum, neonatal ICU, and psychiatric units
  • Demonstrate competence in CPR and other medical emergency situations.
  • Show more

Home care nurse vs nurse skills

Common home care nurse skills
  • Patients, 25%
  • Home Health, 18%
  • CPR, 8%
  • Companionship, 8%
  • Social Work, 3%
  • Primary Care, 3%
Common nurse skills
  • Patients, 21%
  • Home Health, 7%
  • CPR, 6%
  • BLS, 6%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • Acls, 4%

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