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Special duty nurse vs registered nurse

The differences between special duty nurses and 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 special duty nurse and a registered nurse. Additionally, a registered nurse has an average salary of $73,349, which is higher than the $67,188 average annual salary of a special duty nurse.

The top three skills for a special duty nurse include patients, acls and MRI. The most important skills for a registered nurse are patients, BLS, and CPR.

Special duty nurse vs registered nurse overview

Special Duty NurseRegistered Nurse
Yearly salary$67,188$73,349
Hourly rate$32.30$35.26
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs566,742646,159
Job satisfaction-2.75
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 40%Associate Degree, 46%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

Special duty nurse vs registered nurse salary

Special duty nurses and registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Special Duty NurseRegistered Nurse
Average salary$67,188$73,349
Salary rangeBetween $41,000 And $110,000Between $45,000 And $117,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-NORCAL Ambulance
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between special duty nurse and registered nurse education

There are a few differences between a special duty nurse and a registered nurse in terms of educational background:

Special Duty NurseRegistered Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 40%Associate Degree, 46%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Special duty nurse vs registered nurse demographics

Here are the differences between special duty nurses' and registered nurses' demographics:

Special Duty NurseRegistered Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 16.7% Female, 83.3%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%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%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between special duty nurse and registered nurse duties and responsibilities

Special duty nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Educate patients on chemotherapy and relate treatments including growth factors and radiation.
  • Take vitals and history of patients and enter into EMR (NexGen).
  • Operate the EMR system with proficiency to assist in the proper care of patients.
  • Interact closely with family members and patients in evaluating treatment plans and administer prescribed medications/treatments.
  • Perform and participate in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
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Registered nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient care for individuals with multiple diagnoses including COPD, diabetes, stroke and cardiac issues.
  • Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
  • Manage surgical recovery patients including vascular, ENT, GI urological and neurological cases, coronary bypass surgery patients.
  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Provide care for cardiac patients in arrhythmia critical care unit, providing patient education and monitoring telemetry
  • Re-Cover surgical patients immediately after heart and vascular surgery until transfer out of ICU.
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Special duty nurse vs registered nurse skills

Common special duty nurse skills
  • Patients, 41%
  • Acls, 16%
  • MRI, 15%
  • Home Health, 4%
  • CPR, 4%
  • IV, 3%
Common registered nurse skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • BLS, 10%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • Acls, 5%
  • Home Health, 4%

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