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Occupational health nurse vs registered nurse

The differences between occupational health nurses and registered nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an occupational health nurse and a registered nurse. Additionally, a registered nurse has an average salary of $73,349, which is higher than the $67,887 average annual salary of an occupational health nurse.

The top three skills for an occupational health nurse include patients, OSHA and CPR. The most important skills for a registered nurse are patients, BLS, and CPR.

Occupational health nurse vs registered nurse overview

Occupational Health NurseRegistered Nurse
Yearly salary$67,887$73,349
Hourly rate$32.64$35.26
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs328,501646,159
Job satisfaction-2.75
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Associate Degree, 46%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does an occupational health nurse do?

An Occupational Health Nurse provides and delivers health and safety programs and services to workers and community groups. They manage employee health records and statistics as well as develop and manage emergency procedures.

What does a registered nurse do?

The primary responsibilities of a registered nurse involve caring for a variety of patients, from ill and injured to those who are healthy and wanting to stay that way. Nurses have different specialization and work with particular patients, such as newborn babies or those who are suffering from particular medical conditions. They work on different settings which includes hospital, outpatient facility, rehabilitation center, nursing home, dialysis center, home healthcare agency, and other offices. They can administer medications, wound care, and other aids or treatment plan. They also conduct medical tests, interpret the results, and monitor patients' recovery and progress.

Occupational health nurse vs registered nurse salary

Occupational health nurses and registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Occupational Health NurseRegistered Nurse
Average salary$67,887$73,349
Salary rangeBetween $49,000 And $93,000Between $45,000 And $117,000
Highest paying CityCupertino, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyAppleNORCAL Ambulance
Best paying industryAutomotiveHealth Care

Differences between occupational health nurse and registered nurse education

There are a few differences between an occupational health nurse and a registered nurse in terms of educational background:

Occupational Health NurseRegistered Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Associate Degree, 46%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Occupational health nurse vs registered nurse demographics

Here are the differences between occupational health nurses' and registered nurses' demographics:

Occupational Health NurseRegistered Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 11.0% Female, 89.0%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between occupational health nurse and registered nurse duties and responsibilities

Occupational health nurse example responsibilities.

  • Participate in manage care activities to produce health change, specifically providing diabetes education and lifestyle counseling in chronic disease areas.
  • Facilitate rehabilitation of injure employees, utilizing case management to ensure coordination of care, FMLA and return-to-work program.
  • Provide emergency triage care as appropriate, dispense medications and treatments, and assist physicians with physical exams and/or psychiatric evaluations.
  • Exercise compassion and respect for all cultures.
  • Prepare for HIPAA and MI-OSHA reviews and audits.
  • Maintain and coordinate a and written a program.
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Registered nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient care for individuals with multiple diagnoses including COPD, diabetes, stroke and cardiac issues.
  • Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
  • Manage surgical recovery patients including vascular, ENT, GI urological and neurological cases, coronary bypass surgery patients.
  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Provide care for cardiac patients in arrhythmia critical care unit, providing patient education and monitoring telemetry
  • Re-Cover surgical patients immediately after heart and vascular surgery until transfer out of ICU.
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Occupational health nurse vs registered nurse skills

Common occupational health nurse skills
  • Patients, 10%
  • OSHA, 9%
  • CPR, 8%
  • Patient Care, 5%
  • Spirometry, 5%
  • Health Promotion, 4%
Common registered nurse skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • BLS, 10%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • Acls, 5%
  • Home Health, 4%

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