Patient care manager vs research nurse

The differences between patient care managers and research 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 patient care manager, becoming a research nurse takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a patient care manager has an average salary of $65,369, which is higher than the $53,463 average annual salary of a research nurse.

The top three skills for a patient care manager include home health, patients and quality care. The most important skills for a research nurse are patients, informed consent, and data collection.

Patient care manager vs research nurse overview

	Patient Care Manager	Research Nurse
Yearly salary	$65,369	$53,463
Hourly rate	$31.43	$25.70
Growth rate	28%	6%
Number of jobs	123,652	46,665
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	47	44
Years of experience	6	2

What does a patient care manager do?

Patient care managers are executives who are in charge of supervising a clinical team. The managers take responsibility for directing patient care within an organization. Also called health care managers, they protect every patient's safety and health in a clinical setting. They interact with the healthcare team members to maintain open communication. It is also part of their duties to supervise the daily operations in the clinical care units. Managing clinical budgets and maintaining quality health services are also their responsibilities.

What does a research nurse do?

A research nurse specializes in conducting studies and scientific research for healthcare and medical development. They may work for medical facilities, private clinics, learning institutions, and government agencies. It is their duty to design research strategies and procedures, gather and analyze samples through various scientific methods, coordinate with other experts, and develop treatment and healthcare plans to optimize patient services and outcomes. Moreover, a research nurse typically works with a team of researchers, which requires an active communication line while adhering to the organization's policies and regulations.

Patient care manager vs research nurse salary

Patient care managers and research nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Care Manager	Research Nurse
Average salary	$65,369	$53,463
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $117,000	Between $38,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	Oakland, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Accenture	Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings
Best paying industry	Health Care	Pharmaceutical

Differences between patient care manager and research nurse education

There are a few differences between a patient care manager and a research nurse in terms of educational background:

	Patient Care Manager	Research Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Duke University

Patient care manager vs research nurse demographics

Here are the differences between patient care managers' and research nurses' demographics:

	Patient Care Manager	Research Nurse
Average age	47	44
Gender ratio	Male, 17.1% Female, 82.9%	Male, 9.2% Female, 90.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 7.4% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 8.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	9%

Differences between patient care manager and research nurse duties and responsibilities

Patient care manager example responsibilities.

Manage complicated cases involving serious injuries, medical evacuations, cruise ship disembarkation, and repatriation of remains with compassion.
Direct oversight of all case management and education relate to chronic disease and primary care management.
Utilize resources such as financial and pharmacy assistance for uninsure patients to receive professional medical care upon discharge.
Prevent unnecessary hospital admissions using keen assessment skills and redirecting to PCP's office when appropriate.
Ensure compliance both with HIPAA and CMS, to include all audits and enrollments via Medicare.
Plant and maintain flower beds such as mulching, fertilizing, watering, mowing, and pruning.

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Research nurse example responsibilities.

Collect, manage and analyze preliminary data using SPSS statistical software.
Adhere to local and country specific GCP and ICH guidelines.
Ensure coordinator and investigator compliance with GCP and ICH guidelines.
Assure compliance with good clinical practice (GCP) guidelines and FDA regulations.
Ensure appropriate source documentation, drug accountability and study compliance according to GCP and CFR.
Oversee study protocol implementation to ensure compliance with FDA and other regulatory bodies' rules and regulations.

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Patient care manager vs research nurse skills

Common patient care manager skills

Home Health, 15%
Patients, 12%
Quality Care, 8%
Social Work, 7%
Community Resources, 4%
Substance Abuse, 4%

Common research nurse skills

Patients, 18%
Informed Consent, 11%
Data Collection, 5%
IRB, 5%
Oncology, 4%
Research Projects, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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