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The differences between public health nurses and 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 public health nurse and a nurse. Additionally, a public health nurse has an average salary of $60,319, which is higher than the $57,564 average annual salary of a nurse.
The top three skills for a public health nurse include community health, patients and health education. The most important skills for a nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.
| Public Health Nurse | Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $60,319 | $57,564 |
| Hourly rate | $29.00 | $27.68 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 310,843 | 696,124 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A Public Health Nurse maintains the public's health through providing health services and information. They promote a healthy lifestyle, take part in health campaigns, and educate and inform the public about issues, such as preventing disease.
Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.
Public health nurses and nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Health Nurse | Nurse | |
| Average salary | $60,319 | $57,564 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $84,000 | Between $38,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Dignity Health | Conviva |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a public health nurse and a nurse in terms of educational background:
| Public Health Nurse | Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between public health nurses' and nurses' demographics:
| Public Health Nurse | Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 7.5% Female, 92.5% | Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |