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School nurse vs nurse coordinator

The differences between school nurses and nurse coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a school nurse and a nurse coordinator. Additionally, a nurse coordinator has an average salary of $79,040, which is higher than the $54,998 average annual salary of a school nurse.

The top three skills for a school nurse include CPR, school health and health education. The most important skills for a nurse coordinator are patients, CPR, and customer service.

School nurse vs nurse coordinator overview

School NurseNurse Coordinator
Yearly salary$54,998$79,040
Hourly rate$26.44$38.00
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs282,124428,775
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does a school nurse do?

A school nurse is in charge of advocating and providing healthcare services to students, faculty, and staff daily. Their responsibilities revolve around providing necessary treatments to someone in need, developing programs that promote students' health, and administering proper medication. When a school nurse must reach out to parents to inform them of their children's visits or any emergencies, it must be documented. Furthermore, a school nurse must appropriately store all equipment and medication in adherence to the school's safety and health standards.

What does a nurse coordinator do?

A nurse coordinator is primarily in charge of overseeing all nurses and their activities in a hospital or clinic. Their responsibilities include managing and rotating schedules, assessing nurse performance, organizing nursing programs, and developing strategies to optimize procedures. They may also assist patients and answer inquiries, studying their conditions to develop specific care plans to suit their needs. Furthermore, as a nurse coordinator, it is essential to lead and encourage teams to reach goals, all while implementing the facility's policies and regulations.

School nurse vs nurse coordinator salary

School nurses and nurse coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

School NurseNurse Coordinator
Average salary$54,998$79,040
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $77,000Between $61,000 And $102,000
Highest paying CityProvidence, RIPalo Alto, CA
Highest paying stateRhode IslandCalifornia
Best paying companyPreston High SchoolTenet Healthcare
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between school nurse and nurse coordinator education

There are a few differences between a school nurse and a nurse coordinator in terms of educational background:

School NurseNurse Coordinator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

School nurse vs nurse coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between school nurses' and nurse coordinators' demographics:

School NurseNurse Coordinator
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 6.3% Female, 93.7%Male, 9.5% Female, 90.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between school nurse and nurse coordinator duties and responsibilities

School nurse example responsibilities.

  • Create and manage care plans for students with chronic health conditions (such as diabetes, food allergies and depression).
  • Evaluate and manage post-exposure of blood-borne pathogens.
  • Administer medications, evaluate prescription needs and facilitate prescription management, chemotherapy teaching, assess and manage chemotherapy side effects.
  • Perform employee physical exams including hearing and spirometry as required.
  • Provide patient care for PCI patients, mechanically-ventilate patients and an overall variety of critically ill patients.
  • Perform drug testing, physicals, PFT and xrays.
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Nurse coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Assume administrative oversight of medical, pediatric and chemical dependency rehabilitation units during leaves of absence or vacancy.
  • Communicate with patients regarding test results and plan after participating in review of diagnostic testing results with attending physician.
  • Organize and schedule patients for multiple testing procedures and responsible for extensive patient teaching regarding all aspects of fertility and infertility.
  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Contribute to the telemetry and radiology departments
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School nurse vs nurse coordinator skills

Common school nurse skills
  • CPR, 13%
  • School Health, 10%
  • Health Education, 6%
  • Health Problems, 5%
  • Health Services, 5%
  • Emergency Care, 4%
Common nurse coordinator skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Data Collection, 3%
  • Direct Patient Care, 3%
  • Quality Care, 3%

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