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Nurse extern vs clinical research nurse

The differences between nurse externs and clinical research 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 nurse extern and a clinical research nurse. Additionally, a clinical research nurse has an average salary of $60,347, which is higher than the $37,156 average annual salary of a nurse extern.

The top three skills for a nurse extern include patients, vital signs and CPR. The most important skills for a clinical research nurse are patients, BLS, and acute care.

Nurse extern vs clinical research nurse overview

Nurse ExternClinical Research Nurse
Yearly salary$37,156$60,347
Hourly rate$17.86$29.01
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs569,180703,983
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does a nurse extern do?

The job of a nurse extern is to assist the mentor nurse in their nursing duties. They help the mentor nurse in various medical procedures such as administering medications or starting intravenous therapies. They provide or help with personal patient care, including changing bed linens, oral hygiene, and bathing. Nurse externships typically have different requirements that include having finished nursing school, completing a clinical nursing course before the training, and being registered in a nursing program.

What does a clinical research nurse do?

A clinical research nurse is responsible for conducting research studies on various health conditions, illness treatments, and healthcare methodologies, analyzing existing scientific research to make new reports. Clinical research nurses also communicate with other health professionals and health organizations for their insights and recommendations for a specific medical study, ensuring to report their findings to doctors and medical researchers for further validation and clinical trials. A clinical research nurse must have excellent knowledge of communication, both written and spoken, as well as expertise in the medical industry.

Nurse extern vs clinical research nurse salary

Nurse externs and clinical research nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Nurse ExternClinical Research Nurse
Average salary$37,156$60,347
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $47,000Between $44,000 And $82,000
Highest paying CityHuntington Park, CASacramento, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiCalifornia
Best paying companyMenorah Medical CenterUniversity of California, Berkeley
Best paying industryHealth CareEducation

Differences between nurse extern and clinical research nurse education

There are a few differences between a nurse extern and a clinical research nurse in terms of educational background:

Nurse ExternClinical Research Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeEmory UniversityDuke University

Nurse extern vs clinical research nurse demographics

Here are the differences between nurse externs' and clinical research nurses' demographics:

Nurse ExternClinical Research Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 14.3% Female, 85.7%Male, 10.9% Female, 89.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 9.9% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 9.7% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between nurse extern and clinical research nurse duties and responsibilities

Nurse extern example responsibilities.

  • Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
  • Assist patients with activities of daily living, obtain vital signs and assessments, and perform 12 lead EKG's.
  • Perform initial assessments on patients in outpatient oncology clinic; recording vital signs, significant medical history and chief complaints.
  • Shadow to adult medical-surgical nurse staff- head-to-toe assessment, assist with medication administration, computer charting with co-signor, and telemetry monitoring
  • Obtain ACLS, to ensure patients receive the best quality of care.
  • Obtain ACLS certification and then float to all critical care areas as needed.
  • Show more

Clinical research nurse example responsibilities.

  • Maintain accountability and compassion while providing care, administering medications, performing procedures and managing emergencies.
  • Demonstrate clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures and managing emergencies
  • Command of CPR team until a doctor arrives; defibrillate and assess patients' condition.
  • Administer pain medication through intravenous, oral or subcutaneous injection to recovering patients in the immediate post-operative period of surgery.
  • Provide complete nursing care for patient populations undergoing procedures relate to abdominal surgery, multiple trauma, oncology, and peritoneal dialysis
  • Provide skil nursing care for patients spanning the pediatric medical spectrum including hematology, immunology, oncology, neurology and endocrinology.
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Nurse extern vs clinical research nurse skills

Common nurse extern skills
  • Patients, 39%
  • Vital Signs, 11%
  • CPR, 4%
  • Direct Patient Care, 4%
  • Direct Supervision, 4%
  • Patient Care, 3%
Common clinical research nurse skills
  • Patients, 28%
  • BLS, 10%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • Acls, 3%
  • Surgery, 3%
  • Quality Care, 3%

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