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Nurse extern vs visiting nurse

The differences between nurse externs and visiting 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 visiting nurse. Additionally, a visiting nurse has an average salary of $66,671, 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 visiting nurse are patients, home health, and acute care.

Nurse extern vs visiting nurse overview

Nurse ExternVisiting Nurse
Yearly salary$37,156$66,671
Hourly rate$17.86$32.05
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs569,180387,797
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
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 visiting nurse do?

A visiting nurse is responsible for providing quality health care services for the patients in health care institutions, community centers, or private household setting. Visiting nurses assist the patients in their daily activities, administer medications, update their medical charts, and inform the family and attending physicians for the health progress reports. They also support in doing medical procedures, such as taking temperatures and vital signs, collecting specimens for laboratory examinations, and guide the patients on their therapy sessions.

Nurse extern vs visiting nurse salary

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

Nurse ExternVisiting Nurse
Average salary$37,156$66,671
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $47,000Between $46,000 And $95,000
Highest paying CityHuntington Park, CA-
Highest paying stateHawaii-
Best paying companyMenorah Medical Center-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between nurse extern and visiting nurse education

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

Nurse ExternVisiting Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeEmory UniversityDuke University

Nurse extern vs visiting nurse demographics

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

Nurse ExternVisiting Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 14.3% Female, 85.7%Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between nurse extern and visiting 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

Visiting nurse example responsibilities.

  • Provide care and manage gastrostomy, colostomy, and tracheostomy.
  • Consult and teach HHA the best ways of achieving goals direct to improvement of functional status of patient and safety.
  • Assist with obtaining proper DME and permanent services which permit patients to safely manage their medical treatment from their own home.
  • Case management of Medicare and manage care patients, including coordination of services, obtaining insurance authorization, interdisciplinary communication.
  • Complete CPI training to physically restrain patients.
  • Assess clients for eligibility for preventive TB therapy and administer tuberculosis medication.
  • Show more

Nurse extern vs visiting nurse skills

Common nurse extern skills
  • Patients, 39%
  • Vital Signs, 11%
  • CPR, 4%
  • Direct Patient Care, 4%
  • Direct Supervision, 4%
  • Patient Care, 3%
Common visiting nurse skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Home Health, 23%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • HomeCare, 4%
  • Wound Care, 3%
  • Per Diem, 3%

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