Quality improvement manager vs nurse manager

The differences between quality improvement managers 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 quality improvement manager and a nurse manager. Additionally, a nurse manager has an average salary of $83,684, which is higher than the $78,698 average annual salary of a quality improvement manager.

The top three skills for a quality improvement manager include quality improvement, performance improvement and patients. The most important skills for a nurse manager are patients, home health, and CPR.

Quality improvement manager vs nurse manager overview

	Quality Improvement Manager	Nurse Manager
Yearly salary	$78,698	$83,684
Hourly rate	$37.84	$40.23
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	78,509	380,264
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a quality improvement manager do?

A quality improvement manager has a variety of duties and responsibilities. These include conducting research and creating quality improvement programs, developing standard operating procedures and facility policies, and performing audits to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Additionally, you will be responsible for establishing work plan metrics, analyzing performance metrics, and monitoring various department processes such as care complaints in the healthcare setting. You are also expected to review the latest industry data, clinical quality studies, and best practice interventions.

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.

Quality improvement manager vs nurse manager salary

Quality improvement managers and nurse managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Quality Improvement Manager	Nurse Manager
Average salary	$78,698	$83,684
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $111,000	Between $60,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	San Rafael, CA	Las Vegas, NV
Highest paying state	Oregon	Nevada
Best paying company	Portland General Electric	BD
Best paying industry	Insurance	Health Care

Differences between quality improvement manager and nurse manager education

There are a few differences between a quality improvement manager and a nurse manager in terms of educational background:

	Quality Improvement Manager	Nurse Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Quality improvement manager vs nurse manager demographics

Here are the differences between quality improvement managers' and nurse managers' demographics:

	Quality Improvement Manager	Nurse Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1%	Male, 13.5% Female, 86.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.5% 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 Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between quality improvement manager and nurse manager duties and responsibilities

Quality improvement manager example responsibilities.

Manage CAPA, document control, internal audit, complaint handling, and training programs.
Manage 12 FDA and EMA inspections ensuring efficient management of observations, corrective action commitment and completion.
Manage HEDIS medical record review project and validation activities complete by auditors.
Lead and direct the organization's accreditation survey preparation for rehabilitation facilities organizations.
Serve as health plan subject matter expert for HEDIS specifications and NCQA standards and guidelines in preparation for health plan accreditation.
Coordinate annual HEDIS reporting including oversight of vendor data collection, analysis and auditing.

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.

Quality improvement manager vs nurse manager skills

Common quality improvement manager skills

Quality Improvement, 7%
Performance Improvement, 6%
Patients, 5%
Oversight, 5%
Process Improvement, 5%
Patient Care, 5%

Common nurse manager skills

Patients, 22%
Home Health, 8%
CPR, 4%
Customer Service, 4%
Performance Improvement, 3%
Surgery, 3%

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Quality Improvement Manager
Quality Improvement Manager vs Nurse Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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