Post job

Visiting nurse vs psychiatric nurse

The differences between visiting nurses and psychiatric 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 visiting nurse and a psychiatric nurse. Additionally, a visiting nurse has an average salary of $66,671, which is higher than the $64,922 average annual salary of a psychiatric nurse.

The top three skills for a visiting nurse include patients, home health and acute care. The most important skills for a psychiatric nurse are patients, mental illness, and CPR.

Visiting nurse vs psychiatric nurse overview

Visiting NursePsychiatric Nurse
Yearly salary$66,671$64,922
Hourly rate$32.05$31.21
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs387,797608,055
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does a visiting nurse do?

A visiting nurse is responsible for providing quality health care services for the patients in health care institutions, community centers, or private household setting. Visiting nurses assist the patients in their daily activities, administer medications, update their medical charts, and inform the family and attending physicians for the health progress reports. They also support in doing medical procedures, such as taking temperatures and vital signs, collecting specimens for laboratory examinations, and guide the patients on their therapy sessions.

What does a psychiatric nurse do?

A Psychiatric Nurses role is to supervise the medication and treatment of patients diagnosed with mental disabilities, illnesses, or distresses. They have an essential role in the administration of psychiatric treatment and care.

Visiting nurse vs psychiatric nurse salary

Visiting nurses and psychiatric nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Visiting NursePsychiatric Nurse
Average salary$66,671$64,922
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 And $95,000Between $42,000 And $99,000
Highest paying City-Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state-Rhode Island
Best paying company-Highland General Hospital
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between visiting nurse and psychiatric nurse education

There are a few differences between a visiting nurse and a psychiatric nurse in terms of educational background:

Visiting NursePsychiatric Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Visiting nurse vs psychiatric nurse demographics

Here are the differences between visiting nurses' and psychiatric nurses' demographics:

Visiting NursePsychiatric Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 15.5% Female, 84.5%Male, 18.1% Female, 81.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between visiting nurse and psychiatric nurse duties and responsibilities

Visiting nurse example responsibilities.

  • Provide care and manage gastrostomy, colostomy, and tracheostomy.
  • Consult and teach HHA the best ways of achieving goals direct to improvement of functional status of patient and safety.
  • Assist with obtaining proper DME and permanent services which permit patients to safely manage their medical treatment from their own home.
  • Case management of Medicare and manage care patients, including coordination of services, obtaining insurance authorization, interdisciplinary communication.
  • Complete CPI training to physically restrain patients.
  • Assess clients for eligibility for preventive TB therapy and administer tuberculosis medication.
  • Show more

Psychiatric nurse example responsibilities.

  • Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
  • Staff register nurse, acute medical rehabilitation unit.
  • Perform emergency triage differentiating psychiatric versus medical conditions.
  • Perform triage assessment, psychiatric evaluations, medication administration, psychotherapy and case management.
  • Provide comprehensive medical-psychiatric care to patients via assessment, planning, evaluation and supervision of therapeutic interactions.
  • Provide therapeutic communication and psychiatric rehabilitation with residents to assist with their recovery to return to the community.
  • Show more

Visiting nurse vs psychiatric nurse skills

Common visiting nurse skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Home Health, 23%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • HomeCare, 4%
  • Wound Care, 3%
  • Per Diem, 3%
Common psychiatric nurse skills
  • Patients, 25%
  • Mental Illness, 11%
  • CPR, 7%
  • Therapeutic Interventions, 5%
  • Psychiatric Care, 4%
  • IV, 4%

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs