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The differences between registered nurses charge nurses and psychiatric 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 registered nurse charge nurse and a psychiatric registered nurse. Additionally, a psychiatric registered nurse has an average salary of $73,053, which is higher than the $71,342 average annual salary of a registered nurse charge nurse.
The top three skills for a registered nurse charge nurse include patients, BLS and CPR. The most important skills for a psychiatric registered nurse are patients, home health, and patient safety.
| Registered Nurse Charge Nurse | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $71,342 | $73,053 |
| Hourly rate | $34.30 | $35.12 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 645,134 | 640,480 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A registered charge nurse is responsible for supervising nurses' workflow in a particular department or area, ensuring every patient gets the proper care that they need. A registered charge nurse has the discretion to direct tasks, arrange schedules, and monitor patients, such as in the aspects of admission and discharge. Furthermore, a registered charge nurse must maintain an active line of communication and coordination among nurses, physicians, and other personnel involved as the conditions in a hospital can be unpredictable.
A registered psychiatric nurse works alongside mental health experts to develop and administer psychiatric treatment plans according to the patients' needs. Among their responsibilities include gathering and organizing patient information, studying the patients' medical histories, conducting interviews and assessments, providing counseling, administering medicine, and restraining unsettled patients. There are also instances when they must conduct inspections to remove potentially harmful objects and provide psychoeducation to the patients' families. Above all, a registered psychiatric nurse must closely monitor the behavior of patients, record their daily progress, and report to the psychiatrists regularly.
Registered nurses charge nurses and psychiatric registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Registered Nurse Charge Nurse | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Average salary | $71,342 | $73,053 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $110,000 | Between $45,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Diego, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New York |
| Best paying company | Alameda Health System | Scripps Health |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a registered nurse charge nurse and a psychiatric registered nurse in terms of educational background:
| Registered Nurse Charge Nurse | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between registered nurses charge nurses' and psychiatric registered nurses' demographics:
| Registered Nurse Charge Nurse | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.1% Female, 87.9% | Male, 16.7% Female, 83.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |