Student/clinical rotation vs nurse

The differences between student/clinical rotations and 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 student/clinical rotation and a nurse. Additionally, a student/clinical rotation has an average salary of $88,697, which is higher than the $57,564 average annual salary of a nurse.

The top three skills for a student/clinical rotation include patients, vital signs and medication administration. The most important skills for a nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.

Student/clinical rotation vs nurse overview

	Student/Clinical Rotation	Nurse
Yearly salary	$88,697	$57,564
Hourly rate	$42.64	$27.68
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	87,950	696,124
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

What does a student/clinical rotation do?

Clinical rotation is the stage wherein medical students spend their last two years of study as medical team members. During this period, medical students learn to apply their knowledge from the classroom to real-life medical situations. They follow physicians and residents at teaching hospitals and gain relevant practical experience. During the training, they rotate through different medical specialties. They obtain a patient's history, complete physical examinations, and write progress notes. Also, they assist in medical surgeries and procedures with the guidance of physicians. Diagnosis and treatment of patients are two other medical activities that they actively involved in with attending residents' supervision.

What does a nurse do?

Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.

Student/clinical rotation vs nurse salary

Student/clinical rotations and nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Student/Clinical Rotation	Nurse
Average salary	$88,697	$57,564
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $220,000	Between $38,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Conviva
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between student/clinical rotation and nurse education

There are a few differences between a student/clinical rotation and a nurse in terms of educational background:

	Student/Clinical Rotation	Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Student/clinical rotation vs nurse demographics

Here are the differences between student/clinical rotations' and nurses' demographics:

	Student/Clinical Rotation	Nurse
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 21.9% Female, 78.1%	Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 11.8% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between student/clinical rotation and nurse duties and responsibilities

Student/clinical rotation example responsibilities.

Demonstrate clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures and managing emergencies
Perform physical assessments; 12 lead EKG; analyze cardiac strips; blood glucose monitoring via AccuCheck.
Assist with patient control analgesia pump, collaborate with nurse and rapid response team to have patients transfer to ICU.
Experience include various floors with multiple teams including cardiopulmonary, oncology, trauma, ICU, orthopedics, and pediatrics.
Provide catheter care and a variety of injections for patients with autoimmune metabolic illnesses and urinary dysfunction.
Travele to multiple ICU/ CCU.

Nurse example responsibilities.

Monitor patients' status during surgery (circulate in operating room) and manage patients in PACU.
Manage high-acuity cardiac/pulmonary and psychiatric patients
Monitor patients for cardiac rhythm changes and implement medication according to ACLS guidelines.
Educate patients and families on diseases processes, medications, wind care, and iv infusion.
Provide care for patients on medical/surgical, transplant, cardiac, orthopedic, postpartum, neonatal ICU, and psychiatric units
Demonstrate competence in CPR and other medical emergency situations.

Student/clinical rotation vs nurse skills

Common student/clinical rotation skills

Patients, 28%
Vital Signs, 6%
Medication Administration, 5%
IV, 5%
Direct Patient Care, 5%
Clinical Rotations, 4%

Common nurse skills

Patients, 21%
Home Health, 7%
CPR, 6%
BLS, 6%
Acute Care, 5%
Acls, 4%

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Student/Clinical Rotation
Student/Clinical Rotation vs Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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