Enrolled Nurse (EN) and Registered Nurse (RN): What’s the Difference?

Enrolled Nurses (EN) and Registered Nurses (RN) share similar scope of practice, but do you know who is best suited to care for your loved one? Read on to get a better understanding of the available types of nursing services before taking the next step in hiring a professional caregiver.

You are not alone in being confused about the difference between an EN and an RN. The healthcare field can be a maze of confusing jargon and acronyms, complicating choices of service users and professionals alike. Navigating your way around these abbreviations can help you hire the right caregiver for your loved ones.

There are many different levels of nursing credentials. Both RNs and ENs are professionally certified healthcare personnel and valued members of the healthcare force. As of 2018, Hong Kong has over 56,000 registered and enrolled nurses, serving patients across every care setting. While their duties are fairly similar, the main difference lies in their qualification, education and experience.

Professional Nurse Roles:

Qualifications

ENs: Completion of a basic general nursing program of not less than two years duration and should have registered with the Nursing Council of Hong Kong. A EN must also complete a minimum of 1600 hours of clinical practice.
RNs: Completion of a 5-year bachelor’s nursing programme provided by local tertiary education institutions.

Duties

ENs and RNs share similar job scope. While ENs possess the basic nursing competence and professional attributes, they tend to work alongside RNs, practicing general nursing under their direction and supervision.

Support and assist the patient with the activities of daily living (e.g., bathing, dressing), and provide for psycho-socio-spiritual needs of the patient
Provide basic nursing care (e.g., tube insertion or removal, IV drip and vaccination, wound dressing, blood drawing, and suctioning)

*Certified dialysis nurses can also provide dialysis services

Assess patients’ health status by observing, measuring, and recording his/her vital statistics
Help maintain a safe environment and provide for the safety and comfort needs of the client
Formulate care plans; participate and support ongoing quality improvement programs
Assist in exploring resources for promoting continuity of care

Evercare has a large pool of caregivers that can provide elderly care, cancer care, stroke care and dementia care. If you are looking to find private nursing or home care services, feel free to book a consultation or contact us so that we can find the right support for you within 24 hours.

Price Comparison Between an EN and an RN

In Hong Kong, ENs are usually priced between $199-$216 (per hour), whereas a RNs is generally priced between $225-$246 (per hour). Pricing varies depending on the operator.

At Evercare, we offer competitive pricing on a wide selection of home care services. Learn more about our registered nurses and enrolled nurses hourly prices to make an informed decision that works best for you.

How to choose between the two?

Since most of the ENs graduate from a registered training organisation within the vocational education training (VET) sector, their training is more practical than theoretical. On the contrary, training for RN qualifications is designed based on a theoretical and philosophical framework. RNs are equipped with adequate theoretical knowledge and wide clinical exposure to take an all-encompassing view of the situation surrounding their patients.

If you are looking for someone who can perform a more comprehensive patient assessment, you could use the help of a RN. If your loved ones need help with their basic needs of living or professional nursing care, ENs would be an affordable alternative.