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Mental health nurse vs social worker

The differences between mental health nurses and social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a mental health nurse and a social worker. Additionally, a mental health nurse has an average salary of $106,812, which is higher than the $50,102 average annual salary of a social worker.

The top three skills for a mental health nurse include patients, psychiatric mental and PMHNP. The most important skills for a social worker are social work, patients, and patient care.

Mental health nurse vs social worker overview

Mental Health NurseSocial Worker
Yearly salary$106,812$50,102
Hourly rate$51.35$24.09
Growth rate6%9%
Number of jobs86,88477,340
Job satisfaction-4.5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4445
Years of experience22

What does a mental health nurse do?

A mental health nurse is responsible for assisting with the diagnosis and treatment plans of patients with mental health complications. Mental health nurses handle high-quality nursing care under mental health professionals' supervision within a hospital or mental health institution. They support in performing therapeutic activities, administering medical examinations, and counseling patients to know more about their conditions. A mental health nurse also does administrative tasks as needed, such as organizing and updating patients' information on the database, processing treatment payments, and responding to the family's inquiries and concerns.

What does a social worker do?

Social workers help their clients get through problems that they may be facing. Social workers help identify individuals or groups of people, usually families, who may need assistance, generally through a set of pre-determined criteria. They then determine the best ways to help their clients by interviewing them, getting to know them, and understanding the context of their lives. They create plans that will help their clients become better, such as integrating into a new environment, assisting them in their needs, or even rescuing them from their current place. Social workers have good interpersonal skills and communication skills.

Mental health nurse vs social worker salary

Mental health nurses and social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Mental Health NurseSocial Worker
Average salary$106,812$50,102
Salary rangeBetween $62,000 And $182,000Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAPortland, OR
Highest paying stateCaliforniaOregon
Best paying companyCommunity Health SystemsHealth Advocates
Best paying industryGovernmentGovernment

Differences between mental health nurse and social worker education

There are a few differences between a mental health nurse and a social worker in terms of educational background:

Mental Health NurseSocial Worker
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorNursingSocial Work
Most common collegeDuke UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Mental health nurse vs social worker demographics

Here are the differences between mental health nurses' and social workers' demographics:

Mental Health NurseSocial Worker
Average age4445
Gender ratioMale, 16.9% Female, 83.1%Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 9.1% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage9%13%

Differences between mental health nurse and social worker duties and responsibilities

Mental health nurse example responsibilities.

  • Interact with patients, coordinate and successfully manage therapeutic group activities with unit staffs under supervision of clinical instructor.
  • Provide psychiatric evaluation, medication management and education for patients with serious and persistent mental illness and debilitating personality disorders.
  • Provide transportation, medication management, daily ADL's, housekeeping, and feeding.
  • Provide hourly room checks and ADL's according to care plan implement by the attending physician.
  • Initiate emergency resuscitative measures according to adult resuscitation protocols.
  • Perform case management for outpatient veterans that include psychiatric treatment.
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Social worker example responsibilities.

  • Assist clients in achieving treatment goals such as anger, ADHD, grief, social skills, and manners.
  • Lead and co-le CBT and DBT skills-base groups with participants, as well as relapse prevention, mindfulness and process groups.
  • Support patient questions and issues regarding Medicare ESRD entitlement and Medicaid and assist in the completion of the appropriate documentation.
  • Coordinate IPU discharge planning patients to SNF, ALF, PCH or in-home care with necessary support for care.
  • Facilitate relationships with AKF and other patient assistance programs, VA, Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance providers.
  • Complete Medicaid and Medicare applications as needed.
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Mental health nurse vs social worker skills

Common mental health nurse skills
  • Patients, 22%
  • Psychiatric Mental, 10%
  • PMHNP, 6%
  • Medication Management, 6%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Crisis Intervention, 4%
Common social worker skills
  • Social Work, 30%
  • Patients, 15%
  • Patient Care, 5%
  • MSW, 4%
  • Discharge Planning, 4%
  • Home Health, 4%

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