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The differences between registered 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 and a psychiatric registered nurse. Additionally, a registered nurse has an average salary of $73,349, which is higher than the $73,053 average annual salary of a psychiatric registered nurse.
The top three skills for a registered nurse include patients, BLS and CPR. The most important skills for a psychiatric registered nurse are patients, home health, and patient safety.
| Registered Nurse | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $73,349 | $73,053 |
| Hourly rate | $35.26 | $35.12 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 646,159 | 640,480 |
| Job satisfaction | 2.75 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
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 and psychiatric registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Registered Nurse | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Average salary | $73,349 | $73,053 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $117,000 | Between $45,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | NORCAL Ambulance | Scripps Health |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a registered nurse and a psychiatric registered nurse in terms of educational background:
| Registered Nurse | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between registered nurses' and psychiatric registered nurses' demographics:
| Registered Nurse | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7% | Male, 16.7% Female, 83.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |