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Staff nurse for emergency department vs head nurse

The differences between staff nurse for emergency departments and head 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 staff nurse for emergency department and a head nurse. Additionally, a staff nurse for emergency department has an average salary of $83,901, which is higher than the $80,173 average annual salary of a head nurse.

The top three skills for a staff nurse for emergency department include patients, BLS and acls. The most important skills for a head nurse are patients, BLS, and compassion.

Staff nurse for emergency department vs head nurse overview

Staff Nurse For Emergency DepartmentHead Nurse
Yearly salary$83,901$80,173
Hourly rate$40.34$38.54
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs511,577649,127
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

Staff nurse for emergency department vs head nurse salary

Staff nurse for emergency departments and head nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Staff Nurse For Emergency DepartmentHead Nurse
Average salary$83,901$80,173
Salary rangeBetween $52,000 And $135,000Between $48,000 And $132,000
Highest paying CityPalo Alto, CAMinneapolis, MN
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyWashington Hospital Healthcare SystemAstraZeneca
Best paying industryHealth CareEducation

Differences between staff nurse for emergency department and head nurse education

There are a few differences between a staff nurse for emergency department and a head nurse in terms of educational background:

Staff Nurse For Emergency DepartmentHead Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Staff nurse for emergency department vs head nurse demographics

Here are the differences between staff nurse for emergency departments' and head nurses' demographics:

Staff Nurse For Emergency DepartmentHead Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 18.5% Female, 81.5%Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between staff nurse for emergency department and head nurse duties and responsibilities

Staff nurse for emergency department example responsibilities.

  • Maintain current professional practice standards, complete education in telemetry, and attain ACLS certification.
  • Manage nursing interventions for stabilization of critically ill patients and continually monitor, intervene as needed in their care.
  • Maintain BLS, ACLS and TCRN certifications.
  • Stabilize patients in crisis using BLS and ALS protocols.
  • Monitor patients for irregular rhythms; interpret rhythms strips and EKG's.
  • Assign team members and coordinate rapid response team during transfer of patients to the ICU or tertiary hospitals.
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Head nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Receive intensive training for critical care skill development upon transferring to the medical ICU.
  • Perform advanced nursing care to acute/chronic medical/surgical, cardiac, thoracic surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic and oncology/ hematology patients.
  • Certify staff in CPR and blood glucose monitoring.
  • Develop and implement an intensive care class for the staff; implement ACLS class for all staff.
  • Develop process improvement plan with bundles for sedation and ventilation.
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Staff nurse for emergency department vs head nurse skills

Common staff nurse for emergency department skills
  • Patients, 25%
  • BLS, 12%
  • Acls, 9%
  • Acute Care, 7%
  • Family Education, 5%
  • CPR, 5%
Common head nurse skills
  • Patients, 31%
  • BLS, 9%
  • Compassion, 6%
  • Acute Care, 6%
  • Acls, 4%
  • CPR, 3%

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