Physical therapy nurse vs head nurse

The differences between physical therapy nurses and head nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a physical therapy nurse and a head nurse. Additionally, a head nurse has an average salary of $80,173, which is higher than the $71,820 average annual salary of a physical therapy nurse.

The top three skills for a physical therapy nurse include patients, BLS and acls. The most important skills for a head nurse are patients, BLS, and compassion.

Physical therapy nurse vs head nurse overview

	Physical Therapy Nurse	Head Nurse
Yearly salary	$71,820	$80,173
Hourly rate	$34.53	$38.54
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	600,747	649,127
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Physical therapy nurse vs head nurse salary

Physical therapy nurses and head nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physical Therapy Nurse	Head Nurse
Average salary	$71,820	$80,173
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $112,000	Between $48,000 And $132,000
Highest paying City	-	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	AstraZeneca
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between physical therapy nurse and head nurse education

There are a few differences between a physical therapy nurse and a head nurse in terms of educational background:

	Physical Therapy Nurse	Head Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Physical therapy nurse vs head nurse demographics

Here are the differences between physical therapy nurses' and head nurses' demographics:

	Physical Therapy Nurse	Head Nurse
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 10.5% Female, 89.5%	Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between physical therapy nurse and head nurse duties and responsibilities

Physical therapy nurse example responsibilities.

Manage fistulas and other draining wounds using creative intervention referring patients to appropriate community agencies.
Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Focus on traumatic brain injury, stroke rehabilitation.
Initiate the program for nurse assessment and placement of PICC lines for all inpatients.
Include pain management, chemotherapy administration, blood administration, routine peripheral and central access care, and night pharmacy backup.
Supervise and administer chemotherapy and blood products.

Head nurse example responsibilities.

Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Receive intensive training for critical care skill development upon transferring to the medical ICU.
Perform advanced nursing care to acute/chronic medical/surgical, cardiac, thoracic surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic and oncology/ hematology patients.
Certify staff in CPR and blood glucose monitoring.
Develop and implement an intensive care class for the staff; implement ACLS class for all staff.
Develop process improvement plan with bundles for sedation and ventilation.

Physical therapy nurse vs head nurse skills

Common physical therapy nurse skills

Patients, 39%
BLS, 16%
Acls, 4%
IV Therapy, 4%
Direct Patient Care, 4%
Patient Education, 4%

Common head nurse skills

Patients, 31%
BLS, 9%
Compassion, 6%
Acute Care, 6%
Acls, 4%
CPR, 3%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Physical Therapy Nurse
Physical Therapy Nurse vs Head Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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