Office nurse vs practical nurse

The differences between office nurses and practical 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 office nurse and a practical nurse. Additionally, a practical nurse has an average salary of $75,363, which is higher than the $58,587 average annual salary of an office nurse.

The top three skills for an office nurse include patients, vital signs and patient education. The most important skills for a practical nurse are patients, APN, and home health.

Office nurse vs practical nurse overview

	Office Nurse	Practical Nurse
Yearly salary	$58,587	$75,363
Hourly rate	$28.17	$36.23
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	278,856	511,602
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 30%
Average age	44	46
Years of experience	2	2

What does an office nurse do?

Office Nurses are responsible for preparing patients for examinations, administering injections, treating wounds and incisions. Other duties include cleaning and sterilizing various instruments and equipment.

What does a practical nurse do?

A practical nurse is responsible for providing the highest quality care services for the patients and assisting them with their needs and concerns. Practical nurses work within a health institution or private household to support the patients in their daily activities, monitor their conditions, administer medication, and inform the doctors of their health updates. They also coordinate with other medical professionals to develop nursing care plans and activities to suit the patients' lifestyle and keep their active wellbeing.

Office nurse vs practical nurse salary

Office nurses and practical nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Office Nurse	Practical Nurse
Average salary	$58,587	$75,363
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $87,000	Between $47,000 And $120,000
Highest paying City	Uniondale, NY	Lancaster, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	University Hospitals
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between office nurse and practical nurse education

There are a few differences between an office nurse and a practical nurse in terms of educational background:

	Office Nurse	Practical Nurse
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 30%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Emory University	Emory University

Office nurse vs practical nurse demographics

Here are the differences between office nurses' and practical nurses' demographics:

	Office Nurse	Practical Nurse
Average age	44	46
Gender ratio	Male, 5.0% Female, 95.0%	Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 6.3% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between office nurse and practical nurse duties and responsibilities

Office nurse example responsibilities.

Case manage FMLA cases on a daily basis regarding FMLA abuse and employees with attendance issues.
Recognize and manage maternal complications: hemorrhage, preeclampsia, endometritis.
Monitor patients status that are on telemetry.
Facilitate ADL's and assist patients with functional mobility to increase comfort and quality of life.
Assist with patients, obtain EKG's, screen phone calls, and relay information to the physician.
Collect patient vital signs; monitor fetal heartbeats/rate/monitore fetal monitors for premature labor patients.

Practical nurse example responsibilities.

Manage surgical recovery patients including vascular, ENT, GI urological and neurological cases, coronary bypass surgery patients.
Treat patients with dignity, respect, and compassion while maintaining there safety.
Maintain safety and quality standards of care while facilitating early discharge of mother and baby.
Maintain HIPPA and OSHA guidelines.
Receive and implementing Dr orders.
Train in lactation and NRP certify.

Office nurse vs practical nurse skills

Common office nurse skills

Patients, 30%
Vital Signs, 7%
Patient Education, 5%
EKG, 4%
Exam Rooms, 4%
In-Office Procedures, 4%

Common practical nurse skills

Patients, 27%
APN, 7%
Home Health, 6%
Acute Care, 5%
Physical Examinations, 4%
Vital Signs, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Office Nurse
Office Nurse vs Practical Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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