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Public health director vs nurse manager

The differences between public health directors and nurse managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a public health director and a nurse manager. Additionally, a public health director has an average salary of $85,569, which is higher than the $83,684 average annual salary of a nurse manager.

The top three skills for a public health director include community health, public health and public health programs. The most important skills for a nurse manager are patients, home health, and CPR.

Public health director vs nurse manager overview

Public Health DirectorNurse Manager
Yearly salary$85,569$83,684
Hourly rate$41.14$40.23
Growth rate28%28%
Number of jobs75,124380,264
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age4747
Years of experience66

What does a public health director do?

Public affairs specialists, also called media or communication specialists, are responsible for communicating with the public on behalf of an individual, company, government, or politicians. This role will require you to perform various tasks including creating press kit materials, such as images, press releases, and pitch letters for media outlets, maintaining the reputation and identity of the client or employer, and evaluating clients' public opinion through polls, social media listening, and surveys. In addition, public affairs specialists are responsible for evaluating promotional and advertising programs.

What does a nurse manager do?

The primary role of nurse managers is to supervise the nursing staff in a clinical or hospital setting. They are the ones who are in charge of patient care, setting work schedules, and making budgetary and management decisions. They are also responsible for making personnel decisions, coordinating meetings, and creating safe environments that promote patient engagement and aid the healthcare team's work. Their role is vital in promoting a culture in which team members contribute to professional growth and patient outcomes.

Public health director vs nurse manager salary

Public health directors and nurse managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Public Health DirectorNurse Manager
Average salary$85,569$83,684
Salary rangeBetween $55,000 And $131,000Between $60,000 And $115,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MALas Vegas, NV
Highest paying stateNew HampshireNevada
Best paying companyJefferson County Health CenterBD
Best paying industryNon ProfitsHealth Care

Differences between public health director and nurse manager education

There are a few differences between a public health director and a nurse manager in terms of educational background:

Public Health DirectorNurse Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Public health director vs nurse manager demographics

Here are the differences between public health directors' and nurse managers' demographics:

Public Health DirectorNurse Manager
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 37.8% Female, 62.2%Male, 13.5% Female, 86.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 7.7% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.6% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between public health director and nurse manager duties and responsibilities

Public health director example responsibilities.

  • Manage multiple patients, assessing ability to continue living independently or moving to higher acuity care.
  • Provide continuing medical education with HIV and TB specialists on the prevention and control of HIV and TB.
  • Provide oversight for communicable disease surveillance, investigation and control, epidemiology, and emergency preparedness.
  • Position demand expertise in grant oversight, strategic project planning, program management, and stakeholder collaboration.
  • Provide clinical exercise physiology services and health/wellness counseling for family practice/sports medicine/orthopedics medical group effecting positive lifestyle changes in patients serve.
  • Conduct and implement group WIC orientation emphasizing WIC benefits.

Nurse manager example responsibilities.

  • Case manage workers compensation cases, administer drug testing, surveillance testing, minor 1st aid and CPR instruction.
  • Assess and manage various allergic and life threatening reactions of chemotherapy medications.
  • Manage staff of medical personnel providing care for telemetry, geriatric and general medicine patients.
  • Involve in utilization review and chart audits for all appropriate documentation for medicaid, Medicare and manage care organizations.
  • Manage surgical recovery patients including vascular, ENT, GI urological and neurological cases, coronary bypass surgery patients.
  • Maintain current ACLS and BLS certifications.
  • Show more

Public health director vs nurse manager skills

Common public health director skills
  • Community Health, 15%
  • Public Health, 10%
  • Public Health Programs, 8%
  • Public Health Issues, 6%
  • Health Education, 5%
  • Medicaid, 5%
Common nurse manager skills
  • Patients, 22%
  • Home Health, 8%
  • CPR, 4%
  • Customer Service, 4%
  • Performance Improvement, 3%
  • Surgery, 3%

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