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The differences between triage nurses and staff 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 triage nurse and a staff nurse. Additionally, a staff nurse has an average salary of $68,342, which is higher than the $64,592 average annual salary of a triage nurse.
The top three skills for a triage nurse include patients, home health and patient education. The most important skills for a staff nurse are patients, BLS, and CPR.
| Triage Nurse | Staff Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $64,592 | $68,342 |
| Hourly rate | $31.05 | $32.86 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 345,410 | 699,636 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A triage nurse provides patient care and overall nursing duties alongside the resident doctor in a clinic or hospital. It is the task of a triage nurse to oversee the condition of each patient and to report immediately to a doctor when emergencies occur. Added tasks of a triage nurse are monitoring and administering doctor prescriptions, and providing a caring environment for patients and their relatives through constant communication. The triage nurse is an essential part of a healthcare facility and is in-demand in many places around the world.
Staff nurses are registered nurses who are usually assigned to work in a care home, a company, or in a clinical setting. They advise the physical assessments of patients, employees, and residents. They also handle the checking of vital signs, providing basic medical procedures, giving first aid, and, if possible, providing over the counter medication. Staff nurses provide medical attention to the people in their place of assignment. They help pave the path to their patients' full recovery. Staff nurses are expected to be patient and have good interpersonal skills.
Triage nurses and staff nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Triage Nurse | Staff Nurse | |
| Average salary | $64,592 | $68,342 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $95,000 | Between $42,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Burlingame, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Washington Hospital Healthcare System |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a triage nurse and a staff nurse in terms of educational background:
| Triage Nurse | Staff Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between triage nurses' and staff nurses' demographics:
| Triage Nurse | Staff Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 9.1% Female, 90.9% | Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 8.9% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |