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The differences between home care nurses and practical 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 practical nurse. Additionally, a practical nurse has an average salary of $75,363, 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 practical nurse are patients, APN, and home health.
| Home Care Nurse | Practical Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $53,762 | $75,363 |
| Hourly rate | $25.85 | $36.23 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 692,730 | 511,602 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 30% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A practical nurse is responsible for providing the highest quality care services for the patients and assisting them with their needs and concerns. Practical nurses work within a health institution or private household to support the patients in their daily activities, monitor their conditions, administer medication, and inform the doctors of their health updates. They also coordinate with other medical professionals to develop nursing care plans and activities to suit the patients' lifestyle and keep their active wellbeing.
Home care nurses and practical nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Home Care Nurse | Practical Nurse | |
| Average salary | $53,762 | $75,363 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $84,000 | Between $47,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | Eugene, OR | Lancaster, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Overlake Medical Center & Clinics | University Hospitals |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a home care nurse and a practical nurse in terms of educational background:
| Home Care Nurse | Practical Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 30% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Emory University |
Here are the differences between home care nurses' and practical nurses' demographics:
| Home Care Nurse | Practical Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.5% Female, 86.5% | Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 12.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 6.3% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 7% |