Progressive care nurse vs staff nurse

The differences between progressive care nurses and staff 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 progressive care nurse and a staff nurse. Additionally, a progressive care nurse has an average salary of $71,768, which is higher than the $68,342 average annual salary of a staff nurse.

The top three skills for a progressive care nurse include patients, BLS and progressive care. The most important skills for a staff nurse are patients, BLS, and CPR.

Progressive care nurse vs staff nurse overview

	Progressive Care Nurse	Staff Nurse
Yearly salary	$71,768	$68,342
Hourly rate	$34.50	$32.86
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	654,051	699,636
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

What does a progressive care nurse do?

Progressive care nurses are nursing professionals who are responsible for monitoring the condition of patients that are admitted to the hospital's progressive care unit (PCU). These nurses are required to observe the acutely ill patients for critical vital signs and detect any changes while initiating life-saving interventions when needed. They must interpret measurements from specialized medical equipment while performing diagnostic assessments on the changes in the measurements. Progressive care nurses must also update patient files and report any deteriorating conditions to healthcare specialists.

What does a staff nurse do?

Staff nurses are registered nurses who are usually assigned to work in a care home, a company, or in a clinical setting. They advise the physical assessments of patients, employees, and residents. They also handle the checking of vital signs, providing basic medical procedures, giving first aid, and, if possible, providing over the counter medication. Staff nurses provide medical attention to the people in their place of assignment. They help pave the path to their patients' full recovery. Staff nurses are expected to be patient and have good interpersonal skills.

Progressive care nurse vs staff nurse salary

Progressive care nurses and staff nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Progressive Care Nurse	Staff Nurse
Average salary	$71,768	$68,342
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $113,000	Between $42,000 And $109,000
Highest paying City	Redding, CA	Burlingame, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	AccentCare	Washington Hospital Healthcare System
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between progressive care nurse and staff nurse education

There are a few differences between a progressive care nurse and a staff nurse in terms of educational background:

	Progressive Care Nurse	Staff Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Progressive care nurse vs staff nurse demographics

Here are the differences between progressive care nurses' and staff nurses' demographics:

	Progressive Care Nurse	Staff Nurse
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 13.2% Female, 86.8%	Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	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%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between progressive care nurse and staff nurse duties and responsibilities

Progressive care nurse example responsibilities.

Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Develop, implement and evaluate patients' rehabilitation goals to facilitate patient satisfaction.
Utilize EMR for charting, medication ordering, and referrals
Stage, measure, photograph wounds and document in EMR system.
Used strict aseptic technique during the dialysis procedure and when caring for the peritoneal catheter.
Set up and operate equipment as needed: EKG, cardiac monitors, suction and respiratory equipment.

Staff nurse example responsibilities.

Manage and further help stabilize elective and urgent care surgical patients in their post-operative/post PACU admission to the floor.
Accomplish extensive critical care course with EKG interpretation and yearly critical care medication exam.
Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Participate in discharge planning including teaching family members and patients wind care and medication administration process after discharge.
Provide direct nursing care to patients in a variety of settings with an emphasis in critical care and PACU settings.
Prepare patients for surgery and endoscopy procedures including initiating intravenous lines, physical assessments and administering medications.

Progressive care nurse vs staff nurse skills

Common progressive care nurse skills

Patients, 23%
BLS, 14%
Progressive Care, 8%
Acute Care, 6%
Acls, 6%
Telemetry, 5%

Common staff nurse skills

Patients, 28%
BLS, 9%
CPR, 6%
Acls, 5%
Acute Care, 4%
Direct Patient Care, 3%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Progressive Care Nurse
Progressive Care Nurse vs Staff Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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