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Triage nurse vs staff nurse

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 vs staff nurse overview

Triage NurseStaff Nurse
Yearly salary$64,592$68,342
Hourly rate$31.05$32.86
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs345,410699,636
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 40%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does a triage nurse do?

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.

What does a staff nurse do?

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 nurse vs staff nurse salary

Triage nurses and staff nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Triage NurseStaff Nurse
Average salary$64,592$68,342
Salary rangeBetween $43,000 And $95,000Between $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

Differences between triage nurse and staff nurse education

There are a few differences between a triage nurse and a staff nurse in terms of educational background:

Triage NurseStaff Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 40%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Triage nurse vs staff nurse demographics

Here are the differences between triage nurses' and staff nurses' demographics:

Triage NurseStaff Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 9.1% Female, 90.9%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage9%9%

Differences between triage nurse and staff nurse duties and responsibilities

Triage nurse example responsibilities.

  • Recognize and manage maternal complications: hemorrhage, preeclampsia, endometritis.
  • Provide outpatient chemotherapy administration, patient education and telephone triage of patients undergoing cancer treatment.
  • Follow up on denials and appeals.
  • Experience in initiating prior authorizations, denials, and appeals.
  • Perform EKG's, labs, vision screening, hearing tests, pulmonary function tests.
  • Handle all heavy phone scheduling which include visits, blood work, diagnostic testing and cardiac rehabilitation.
  • Show more

Staff nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage and further help stabilize elective and urgent care surgical patients in their post-operative/post PACU admission to the floor.
  • Accomplish extensive critical care course with EKG interpretation and yearly critical care medication exam.
  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Participate in discharge planning including teaching family members and patients wind care and medication administration process after discharge.
  • Provide direct nursing care to patients in a variety of settings with an emphasis in critical care and PACU settings.
  • Prepare patients for surgery and endoscopy procedures including initiating intravenous lines, physical assessments and administering medications.
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Triage nurse vs staff nurse skills

Common triage nurse skills
  • Patients, 30%
  • Home Health, 10%
  • Patient Education, 4%
  • Test Results, 3%
  • Symptom Management, 3%
  • Urgent Care, 3%
Common staff nurse skills
  • Patients, 28%
  • BLS, 9%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Acls, 5%
  • Acute Care, 4%
  • Direct Patient Care, 3%

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