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The differences between intensive care unit nurses and staff nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an intensive care unit nurse has an average salary of $79,483, which is higher than the $68,342 average annual salary of a staff nurse.
The top three skills for an intensive care unit nurse include patients, BLS and acls. The most important skills for a staff nurse are patients, BLS, and CPR.
| Intensive Care Unit Nurse | Staff Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $79,483 | $68,342 |
| Hourly rate | $38.21 | $32.86 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 611,699 | 699,636 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
An Intensive Care Unit Nurse is specialized in providing care in intensive care units of hospitals. They assist in the treatment of acutely ill patients with life-threatening conditions.
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.
Intensive care unit nurses and staff nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Intensive Care Unit Nurse | Staff Nurse | |
| Average salary | $79,483 | $68,342 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $131,000 | Between $42,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Clara, CA | Burlingame, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | Dignity Health | Washington Hospital Healthcare System |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an intensive care unit nurse and a staff nurse in terms of educational background:
| Intensive Care Unit Nurse | Staff Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between intensive care unit nurses' and staff nurses' demographics:
| Intensive Care Unit Nurse | Staff Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 18.2% Female, 81.8% | Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% 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 Percentage | 9% | 9% |