Private duty nurse vs operating room nurse

The differences between private duty nurses and operating room 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 private duty nurse and an operating room nurse. Additionally, an operating room nurse has an average salary of $68,255, which is higher than the $55,518 average annual salary of a private duty nurse.

The top three skills for a private duty nurse include home health, patients and medication administration. The most important skills for an operating room nurse are patients, BLS, and acls.

Private duty nurse vs operating room nurse overview

	Private Duty Nurse	Operating Room Nurse
Yearly salary	$55,518	$68,255
Hourly rate	$26.69	$32.81
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	256,740	545,487
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

What does a private duty nurse do?

A private duty nurse is responsible for providing quality health care services for a specific patient's medical needs. Private duty nurses work within a large health care institution or in a private household setting, depending on their scope and availability. They assist the medical staff in administering medications for the patients, conducting medical procedures, evaluating the patients' condition, and reporting progress and any updates to the attending physician for immediate attention. A private duty nurse must be highly attentive, especially on supporting the patient's daily activities and self-care needs.

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.

Private duty nurse vs operating room nurse salary

Private duty nurses and operating room nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Private Duty Nurse	Operating Room Nurse
Average salary	$55,518	$68,255
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $74,000	Between $42,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Hawaii
Best paying company	Health First	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Government	Professional

Differences between private duty nurse and operating room nurse education

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

	Private Duty Nurse	Operating Room Nurse
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Private duty nurse vs operating room nurse demographics

Here are the differences between private duty nurses' and operating room nurses' demographics:

	Private Duty Nurse	Operating Room Nurse
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 9.6% Female, 90.4%	Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	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%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between private duty nurse and operating room nurse duties and responsibilities

Private duty nurse example responsibilities.

Manage Ventriculostomies and interpret ICP and CVP readings.
Manage patient care monitoring vital signs, performing physical assessment, checking patients medications for effectiveness.
Communicate with medicaid, and insurance companies to ensure patients receive appropriate care and payment of procedures and medication.
Provide daily assessments, ADL's medication management and any necessary medical treatments.
Monitor ventilator and oxygen saturation regularly; offer medication, treatments, and tracheostomy care.
Provide care to home bound individuals with tracheostomy, ventilator assistance patients, administration of medications, referrals

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.

Private duty nurse vs operating room nurse skills

Common private duty nurse skills

Home Health, 34%
Patients, 31%
Medication Administration, 3%
Hospice Care, 3%
Vital Signs, 3%
Trach Care, 3%

Common operating room nurse skills

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

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Private Duty Nurse
Private Duty Nurse vs Operating Room Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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