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Home health nurse vs staff nurse

The differences between home health nurses and staff 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 health nurse and a staff nurse. Additionally, a home health nurse has an average salary of $69,393, which is higher than the $68,342 average annual salary of a staff nurse.

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

Home health nurse vs staff nurse overview

Home Health NurseStaff Nurse
Yearly salary$69,393$68,342
Hourly rate$33.36$32.86
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs687,941699,636
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does a home health nurse do?

A home health nurse is responsible for assisting patients usually in their households, strictly monitoring their health conditions and treatment plans for fast recovery. Home health nurses work with the patients' attending physicians and other health professionals to develop healthcare plans and administer timely medications. They update the patient's chart regularly, record temperature and vital signs, manage food intake, and respond to the patients' inquiries and requests. A home health nurse must have strong organizational and time-management skills to perform various nursing duties under certain conditions.

What does a staff nurse do?

Staff nurses are registered nurses who are usually assigned to work in a care home, a company, or in a clinical setting. They advise the physical assessments of patients, employees, and residents. They also handle the checking of vital signs, providing basic medical procedures, giving first aid, and, if possible, providing over the counter medication. Staff nurses provide medical attention to the people in their place of assignment. They help pave the path to their patients' full recovery. Staff nurses are expected to be patient and have good interpersonal skills.

Home health nurse vs staff nurse salary

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

Home Health NurseStaff Nurse
Average salary$69,393$68,342
Salary rangeBetween $48,000 And $99,000Between $42,000 And $109,000
Highest paying CityPetaluma, CABurlingame, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companySenior Living PropertiesWashington Hospital Healthcare System
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between home health nurse and staff nurse education

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

Home Health NurseStaff Nurse
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Home health nurse vs staff nurse demographics

Here are the differences between home health nurses' and staff nurses' demographics:

Home Health NurseStaff Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 10.6% Female, 89.4%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between home health nurse and staff nurse duties and responsibilities

Home health nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage an Alzheimer patient daily care including bathing, feeding and administer any medication.
  • Instruct patients and relatives regarding techniques used in managing vascular access devices aim at facilitating client independence.
  • Field NurseProvide care for patients discharge from hospital, skil care facility rehabilitation facility and referral from physician's office.
  • Administer IM meds such as monthly B12
  • Maintain and assess patient for daily MDS.
  • Care of ventilator and TPN in home private duty
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Staff nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage and further help stabilize elective and urgent care surgical patients in their post-operative/post PACU admission to the floor.
  • Accomplish extensive critical care course with EKG interpretation and yearly critical care medication exam.
  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Participate in discharge planning including teaching family members and patients wind care and medication administration process after discharge.
  • Provide direct nursing care to patients in a variety of settings with an emphasis in critical care and PACU settings.
  • Prepare patients for surgery and endoscopy procedures including initiating intravenous lines, physical assessments and administering medications.
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Home health nurse vs staff nurse skills

Common home health nurse skills
  • Home Health, 31%
  • Patients, 20%
  • Quality Care, 5%
  • Rehabilitation, 4%
  • Physician Orders, 4%
  • Infection Control, 3%
Common staff nurse skills
  • Patients, 28%
  • BLS, 9%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Acls, 5%
  • Acute Care, 4%
  • Direct Patient Care, 3%

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