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The differences between public health nurses and registered 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 registered nurse. Additionally, a registered nurse has an average salary of $73,349, which is higher than the $60,319 average annual salary of a public health nurse.
The top three skills for a public health nurse include community health, patients and health education. The most important skills for a registered nurse are patients, BLS, and CPR.
| Public Health Nurse | Registered Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $60,319 | $73,349 |
| Hourly rate | $29.00 | $35.26 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 310,843 | 646,159 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2.75 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Associate Degree, 46% |
| 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.
The primary responsibilities of a registered nurse involve caring for a variety of patients, from ill and injured to those who are healthy and wanting to stay that way. Nurses have different specialization and work with particular patients, such as newborn babies or those who are suffering from particular medical conditions. They work on different settings which includes hospital, outpatient facility, rehabilitation center, nursing home, dialysis center, home healthcare agency, and other offices. They can administer medications, wound care, and other aids or treatment plan. They also conduct medical tests, interpret the results, and monitor patients' recovery and progress.
Public health nurses and registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Health Nurse | Registered Nurse | |
| Average salary | $60,319 | $73,349 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $84,000 | Between $45,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Dignity Health | NORCAL Ambulance |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a public health nurse and a registered nurse in terms of educational background:
| Public Health Nurse | Registered Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Associate Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between public health nurses' and registered nurses' demographics:
| Public Health Nurse | Registered Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 7.5% Female, 92.5% | Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |