Post job

Nurse recruiter vs staff nurse

The differences between nurse recruiters and staff nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a nurse recruiter, becoming a staff nurse takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a staff nurse has an average salary of $68,342, which is higher than the $53,189 average annual salary of a nurse recruiter.

The top three skills for a nurse recruiter include applicant tracking systems, HR and recruitment strategies. The most important skills for a staff nurse are patients, BLS, and CPR.

Nurse recruiter vs staff nurse overview

Nurse RecruiterStaff Nurse
Yearly salary$53,189$68,342
Hourly rate$25.57$32.86
Growth rate8%6%
Number of jobs53,369699,636
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age4144
Years of experience62

What does a nurse recruiter do?

A nurse recruiter is primarily responsible for recruiting qualified nurses for job positions at medical establishments. They are in charge of conducting and facilitating interviews and initial assessments, screening potential candidates, answering inquiries, and negotiating terms. A nurse recruiter may also participate in job fairs and various gatherings, even reach out to universities or colleges to find promising nursing students. They may help them by recommending programs and certifications to enhance their skills and career paths.

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.

Nurse recruiter vs staff nurse salary

Nurse recruiters and staff nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Nurse RecruiterStaff Nurse
Average salary$53,189$68,342
Salary rangeBetween $38,000 And $74,000Between $42,000 And $109,000
Highest paying CityWalnut Creek, CABurlingame, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyCalifornia
Best paying companyWellpathWashington Hospital Healthcare System
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between nurse recruiter and staff nurse education

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

Nurse RecruiterStaff Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaDuke University

Nurse recruiter vs staff nurse demographics

Here are the differences between nurse recruiters' and staff nurses' demographics:

Nurse RecruiterStaff Nurse
Average age4144
Gender ratioMale, 21.1% Female, 78.9%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 8.0% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%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 nurse recruiter and staff nurse duties and responsibilities

Nurse recruiter example responsibilities.

  • Utilize ATS (applicant tracking software) for organizational recruiting efforts, reviewing applicant information and managing open requisitions.
  • Process new hires and transfers using Taleo.
  • Recruit nurses via cold calling, excel lead spreadsheets, indeed, LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, and internal referrals.
  • Complete necessary Taleo procedures including entering requisitions, and responding to online applicants.
  • Provide training and recommend training opportunities including utilization of online sources such as LinkedIn.
  • Maintain ATS files for candidates; process approved candidate files forward and effectively disposition reject candidate files.
  • Show more

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.
  • Show more

Nurse recruiter vs staff nurse skills

Common nurse recruiter skills
  • Applicant Tracking Systems, 11%
  • HR, 11%
  • Recruitment Strategies, 7%
  • Patient Care, 5%
  • Recruitment Efforts, 5%
  • Background Checks, 5%
Common staff nurse skills
  • Patients, 28%
  • BLS, 9%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Acls, 5%
  • Acute Care, 4%
  • Direct Patient Care, 3%

Browse business and financial jobs