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Step-down nurse vs student nurse

The differences between step-down nurses and student 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 step-down nurse and a student nurse. Additionally, a step-down nurse has an average salary of $83,807, which is higher than the $37,281 average annual salary of a student nurse.

The top three skills for a step-down nurse include patients, BLS and acute care. The most important skills for a student nurse are patients, vital signs, and direct patient care.

Step-down nurse vs student nurse overview

Step-Down NurseStudent Nurse
Yearly salary$83,807$37,281
Hourly rate$40.29$17.92
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs435,149578,210
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

Step-down nurse vs student nurse salary

Step-down nurses and student nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Step-Down NurseStudent Nurse
Average salary$83,807$37,281
Salary rangeBetween $52,000 And $133,000Between $26,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City-Oxnard, CA
Highest paying state-Hawaii
Best paying company-Boston Medical Center
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between step-down nurse and student nurse education

There are a few differences between a step-down nurse and a student nurse in terms of educational background:

Step-Down NurseStudent Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Step-down nurse vs student nurse demographics

Here are the differences between step-down nurses' and student nurses' demographics:

Step-Down NurseStudent Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 17.3% Female, 82.8%Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 11.3% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between step-down nurse and student nurse duties and responsibilities

Step-down nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Work with EKG monitor technicians to evaluate and interpret EKG strips.
  • Interpret laboratory results and cardiac tests, and proactively educate patients in health promotion and disease prevention.
  • Initiate intravenously therapy, administer medications, provide care for post-operative open-heart patients and post cardiac catheter patients.
  • Maintain responsibility for clinical activities of all nurses caring for patients assign, prepare annual evaluations on all nurses assign.
  • Perform electrocardiogram monitoring and medication administration.
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Student nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage surgical recovery patients including vascular, ENT, GI urological and neurological cases, coronary bypass surgery patients.
  • Experience in plastics, general, podiatry, ortho, gyn, GI and pain services
  • Administer intravenous infusions, PO, IM, IVP, SubQ prescriptions and monitoring patients for adverse reactions.
  • Provide competent nursing care within scope of practice on the Med-Surg, and ICU floor as a student nurse.
  • Experience inserting IVs, total patient care, charting, and logging with SRHS computer system on multiple MED-SURG units.
  • Provide general patient care ADL's, administering dressing changes, providing nurses notes, and other aide duties for patient.
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Step-down nurse vs student nurse skills

Common step-down nurse skills
  • Patients, 30%
  • BLS, 15%
  • Acute Care, 8%
  • Life Support, 7%
  • Acls, 6%
  • Telemetry, 4%
Common student nurse skills
  • Patients, 26%
  • Vital Signs, 9%
  • Direct Patient Care, 6%
  • Administer Medications, 4%
  • IV, 4%
  • CPR, 3%

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