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Visiting nurse vs staff nurse

The differences between visiting 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 visiting nurse and a staff nurse. Additionally, a staff nurse has an average salary of $68,342, which is higher than the $66,671 average annual salary of a visiting nurse.

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

Visiting nurse vs staff nurse overview

Visiting NurseStaff Nurse
Yearly salary$66,671$68,342
Hourly rate$32.05$32.86
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs387,797699,636
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
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 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.

Visiting nurse vs staff nurse salary

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

Visiting NurseStaff Nurse
Average salary$66,671$68,342
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 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 visiting nurse and staff nurse education

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

Visiting NurseStaff Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Visiting nurse vs staff nurse demographics

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

Visiting NurseStaff Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 15.5% Female, 84.5%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
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, 11.8% 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 visiting nurse and staff 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.
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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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Visiting nurse vs staff nurse skills

Common visiting nurse skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Home Health, 23%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • HomeCare, 4%
  • Wound Care, 3%
  • Per Diem, 3%
Common staff nurse skills
  • Patients, 28%
  • BLS, 9%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Acls, 5%
  • Acute Care, 4%
  • Direct Patient Care, 3%

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