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Traveling nurse vs head nurse

The differences between traveling nurses 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 traveling nurse and a head nurse. Additionally, a traveling nurse has an average salary of $83,961, which is higher than the $80,173 average annual salary of a head nurse.

The top three skills for a traveling nurse include patients, acute care and healthcare. The most important skills for a head nurse are patients, BLS, and compassion.

Traveling nurse vs head nurse overview

Traveling NurseHead Nurse
Yearly salary$83,961$80,173
Hourly rate$40.37$38.54
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs585,515649,127
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

Traveling nurse vs head nurse salary

Traveling nurses and head nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Traveling NurseHead Nurse
Average salary$83,961$80,173
Salary rangeBetween $53,000 And $132,000Between $48,000 And $132,000
Highest paying CityDetroit, MIMinneapolis, MN
Highest paying stateHawaiiCalifornia
Best paying companyMaxim Healthcare GroupAstraZeneca
Best paying industryProfessionalEducation

Differences between traveling nurse and head nurse education

There are a few differences between a traveling nurse and a head nurse in terms of educational background:

Traveling NurseHead Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Traveling nurse vs head nurse demographics

Here are the differences between traveling nurses' and head nurses' demographics:

Traveling NurseHead Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 15.9% Female, 84.1%Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% 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 traveling nurse and head nurse duties and responsibilities

Traveling nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage critically ill patient as a result of trauma, including vent management, ICP monitoring, and CRRT.
  • Manage and further help stabilize elective and/or urgent surgical patient in their post-operative, post PACU admission to the floor.
  • Manage bedside care per MD orders, administering medications, ensuring patient safety, assisting in ADL care, etc.
  • Monitor chemotherapy and administration of oral chemo medication, obtain laboratory specimens to manage client status via central lines.
  • Travel nurse who provide care to patients in SICU, MICU, CCU, and CVICU.
  • Work in both MICU and SICU
  • Show more

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.
  • Show more

Traveling nurse vs head nurse skills

Common traveling nurse skills
  • Patients, 15%
  • Acute Care, 10%
  • Healthcare, 9%
  • Acls, 6%
  • Surgery, 6%
  • Telemetry, 4%
Common head nurse skills
  • Patients, 31%
  • BLS, 9%
  • Compassion, 6%
  • Acute Care, 6%
  • Acls, 4%
  • CPR, 3%

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