Post job

Scrub nurse vs staff nurse

The differences between scrub 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 scrub nurse and a staff nurse. Additionally, a staff nurse has an average salary of $68,342, which is higher than the $66,672 average annual salary of a scrub nurse.

The top three skills for a scrub nurse include patients, surgery site and direct patient care. The most important skills for a staff nurse are patients, BLS, and CPR.

Scrub nurse vs staff nurse overview

Scrub NurseStaff Nurse
Yearly salary$66,672$68,342
Hourly rate$32.05$32.86
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs635,835699,636
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 42%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

Scrub nurse vs staff nurse salary

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

Scrub NurseStaff Nurse
Average salary$66,672$68,342
Salary rangeBetween $43,000 And $103,000Between $42,000 And $109,000
Highest paying City-Burlingame, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Washington Hospital Healthcare System
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between scrub nurse and staff nurse education

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

Scrub NurseStaff Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 42%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Scrub nurse vs staff nurse demographics

Here are the differences between scrub nurses' and staff nurses' demographics:

Scrub NurseStaff Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 15.4% Female, 84.6%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% 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 scrub nurse and staff nurse duties and responsibilities

Scrub nurse example responsibilities.

  • Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
  • Assist scrub nurse in the setup, arrangement and count of surgical equipment and sponges.
  • Maintain and accurately document proper counting of instruments, sponges and needles as per policy.
  • Include teaching at community outreach seminars and optometry seminars for patients and physicians
  • Provide teaching to patients and families regarding health care preparation in ambulatory/outpatient care.
  • Perform and participate in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
  • 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

Scrub nurse vs staff nurse skills

Common scrub nurse skills
  • Patients, 23%
  • Surgery Site, 11%
  • Direct Patient Care, 6%
  • Surgical Procedures, 6%
  • GYN, 5%
  • Ortho, 5%
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