Operating room nurse vs clinic registered nurse

The differences between operating room nurses and clinic 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 operating room nurse and a clinic registered nurse. Additionally, a clinic registered nurse has an average salary of $70,075, which is higher than the $68,255 average annual salary of an operating room nurse.

The top three skills for an operating room nurse include patients, BLS and acls. The most important skills for a clinic registered nurse are patients, BLS, and acute care.

Operating room nurse vs clinic registered nurse overview

	Operating Room Nurse	Clinic Registered Nurse
Yearly salary	$68,255	$70,075
Hourly rate	$32.81	$33.69
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	545,487	520,812
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

What does an operating room nurse do?

An Operating Room Nurse assists surgeons during operations and keeps the operating room sterile at all times. They ensure that patients are ready for transport to the recovery room.

What does a clinic registered nurse do?

A clinic registered nurse is responsible for providing immediate care and treatments to patients while working alongside physicians and specialists. Assigned in a clinic or similar setting, they are mostly responsible for obtaining patient information and medical history, administering appropriate medication, and coordinating with health care experts. Moreover, they must thoroughly discuss necessary information to patients and their guardians and respond to any inquiries under the physician's guidelines. It is essential to make patients feel at ease and implement the policies of the clinic.

Operating room nurse vs clinic registered nurse salary

Operating room nurses and clinic registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Operating Room Nurse	Clinic Registered Nurse
Average salary	$68,255	$70,075
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $108,000	Between $43,000 And $113,000
Highest paying City	Urban Honolulu, HI	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Rhode Island
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Highland General Hospital
Best paying industry	Professional	Professional

Differences between operating room nurse and clinic registered nurse education

There are a few differences between an operating room nurse and a clinic registered nurse in terms of educational background:

	Operating Room Nurse	Clinic Registered Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Operating room nurse vs clinic registered nurse demographics

Here are the differences between operating room nurses' and clinic registered nurses' demographics:

	Operating Room Nurse	Clinic Registered Nurse
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%	Male, 10.2% Female, 89.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between operating room nurse and clinic registered nurse duties and responsibilities

Operating room nurse example responsibilities.

Post op surgery assist recovery nurse with obtaining vitals signs and attaching EKG leads and oxygen.
Achieve departmental goals and objectives by instituting SGNA standards and processes for inpatient and outpatient care.
Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
General surgery, ortho, GU, GI and ENT and dentals.
Complete BLS and ACLS certification.
Specialize in GYN, urology and orthopedics.

Clinic registered nurse example responsibilities.

Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Perform both admissions and discharge of patients within the CICU as well as transferring patients to ICU or other units.
Perform nursing functions in critical care units including ER, MICU, CCU, SICU in various hospitals and medical centers.
Provide patient education that includes information about diagnosis, plan surgical procedures, post-surgical care, and physical rehabilitation procedures.
Provide involved detail clinical evaluations of patients within the acute rehabilitation center along with needs for transition of care after discharge.
Provide prenatal care education to ob triage patients to aide in fetal well-being.

Operating room nurse vs clinic registered nurse skills

Common operating room nurse skills

Patients, 21%
BLS, 13%
Acls, 7%
Surgical Procedures, 4%
PACU, 3%
Pre-op, 3%

Common clinic registered nurse skills

Patients, 26%
BLS, 11%
Acute Care, 6%
Home Health, 5%
Acls, 4%
Quality Care, 3%

Operating Room Nurse vs. similar jobs

Operating Room Nurse related careers

Operating Room Nurse related jobs

Operating Room Nurse jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Operating Room Nurse
Operating Room Nurse vs Clinic Registered Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs