Post job

Registered professional nurse vs staff nurse

The differences between registered professional nurses and staff 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 professional nurse and a staff nurse. Additionally, a registered professional nurse has an average salary of $73,268, which is higher than the $68,342 average annual salary of a staff nurse.

The top three skills for a registered professional nurse include patients, BLS and patient safety. The most important skills for a staff nurse are patients, BLS, and CPR.

Registered professional nurse vs staff nurse overview

Registered Professional NurseStaff Nurse
Yearly salary$73,268$68,342
Hourly rate$35.23$32.86
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs681,526699,636
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

Registered professional nurse vs staff nurse salary

Registered professional nurses and staff nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Registered Professional NurseStaff Nurse
Average salary$73,268$68,342
Salary rangeBetween $43,000 And $124,000Between $42,000 And $109,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYBurlingame, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaCalifornia
Best paying companyAccountable Healthcare Holdings Corp.Washington Hospital Healthcare System
Best paying industryUtilitiesHealth Care

Differences between registered professional nurse and staff nurse education

There are a few differences between a registered professional nurse and a staff nurse in terms of educational background:

Registered Professional NurseStaff Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Registered professional nurse vs staff nurse demographics

Here are the differences between registered professional nurses' and staff nurses' demographics:

Registered Professional NurseStaff Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 15.4% Female, 84.6%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between registered professional nurse and staff nurse duties and responsibilities

Registered professional nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Provide direct patient care to but not limit to acute, palliative care, and oncology patients.
  • Provide telemetry monitoring for cardiac patients.
  • Involve in prescribing patients individual rehabilitation programs in conjunction with staff exercise physiologists and helping patients meet their expect goals.
  • Provide excellent and compassionate ICU patient care.
  • Assist ICU manager with scheduling and work assignments.
  • Show more

Staff nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage and further help stabilize elective and urgent care surgical patients in their post-operative/post PACU admission to the floor.
  • Accomplish extensive critical care course with EKG interpretation and yearly critical care medication exam.
  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Participate in discharge planning including teaching family members and patients wind care and medication administration process after discharge.
  • Provide direct nursing care to patients in a variety of settings with an emphasis in critical care and PACU settings.
  • Prepare patients for surgery and endoscopy procedures including initiating intravenous lines, physical assessments and administering medications.
  • Show more

Registered professional nurse vs staff nurse skills

Common registered professional nurse skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • BLS, 12%
  • Patient Safety, 11%
  • Acls, 6%
  • EKG, 4%
  • Compassion, 3%
Common staff nurse skills
  • Patients, 28%
  • BLS, 9%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Acls, 5%
  • Acute Care, 4%
  • Direct Patient Care, 3%

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs