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The differences between registered health nurses and public health 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 registered health nurse and a public health nurse. Additionally, a registered health nurse has an average salary of $75,713, which is higher than the $60,319 average annual salary of a public health nurse.
The top three skills for a registered health nurse include patients, home health and CPR. The most important skills for a public health nurse are community health, patients, and health education.
| Registered Health Nurse | Public Health Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $75,713 | $60,319 |
| Hourly rate | $36.40 | $29.00 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 538,508 | 310,843 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Registered health nurses work in collaboration with other health care professionals. They provide direct patient care, assess and record symptoms, progress, and reactions, all of which provides the source for care planning and intervention. They also manage nursing care plans, instruct patients and their families in the right care, and aid individuals and groups to improve or maintain their good health. It also requires a large base of knowledge and experience in order to assess, plan, and give intervention to promote health, avoid disease, and help patients cope with ailments.
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.
Registered health nurses and public health nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Registered Health Nurse | Public Health Nurse | |
| Average salary | $75,713 | $60,319 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $112,000 | Between $42,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Baptist Health Care | Dignity Health |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a registered health nurse and a public health nurse in terms of educational background:
| Registered Health Nurse | Public Health Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between registered health nurses' and public health nurses' demographics:
| Registered Health Nurse | Public Health Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.1% Female, 88.9% | Male, 7.5% Female, 92.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |