Registered Nurses switching to pharmacy

[heaven]

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Just out of curiosity, are there any Registered nurses or LPN's who are switching to pharmacy. If so, what are ur reasons and how many years experience do you have. I'm an RN but i'm now switching to pharmacy bacause it's what i always wanted to do. I went into nursing as a stepping stone to help me with some investments that i've ventured into and also to help me pay for pharmacy school, and also at least i won't be broke when in pharmacy school because there are many enticing options available in the field. Feel free to respond.

 

[TennisBoy78]

Just out of curiosity, are there any Registered nurses or LPN's who are switching to pharmacy. If so, what are ur reasons and how many years experience do you have. I'm an RN but i'm now switching to pharmacy bacause it's what i always wanted to do. I went into nursing as a stepping stone to help me with some investments that i've ventured into and also to help me pay for pharmacy school, and also at least i won't be broke when in pharmacy school because there are many enticing options available in the field. Feel free to respond.

My mom is an RN (not trying to get into Pharmacy School) but her son (me) is trying to get into Pharmacy School.

I was thinking about going to become an RN and my Mom flat out asked me if I wanted to clean up sh**. Seems kind of funny but that is the honest to god truth. My mom is in her fifties but has never liked nursing. She's done hospital floor work, and now is a Home Health administrator. Although her job responsibilities have changed, her stresses have not.

Pharmacy is very stressful too, but much more clean. My aunt has been a pharmacist for nearly 18 years and still to this day loves her job. The unruly patients are still there, but you are separated by the counter from them and you are not required to touch them, bathe them, or lift them up.

There will be different types of stress involved, but a pharmacist's job is much more manageable. Nurses are constantly on the move, and so are pharmacists, but at least pharmacists don't have to be in fifty places at one time like a nurse has to be.

It's cool that you will be doing pharmacy. Much more cleaner, and better pay. Plus, you will be asked about drugs forever (you will know more about them than any doctor). Good luck!

 

[Glycerin]

Moving to the pre-pharmacy forum since this is not PCAT related... 🙂

 

[tsubasa]

RN Career has a great upper mobility. I have seen a lot of RN became Family Practice Nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Forensic Nurse, Pediatric Nurse Specialist.... I respect all health care professionals and I believe RN takes really important part of patient's treatment. I saw a lot of RN went to tsunami disaster relief mission as a volunteer and helped a thousands. Pharmacy career is great as well (I'm sure that is why you are interested in), they have so many choices of residencies. I think it can be depends on what you really want to do, and talking with mentors (Pharmcist, MD..RN?) and talking with SDN 🙂 do you work at hospital? you may qualify for their scholarship program.

 

[gapeach427]

Just out of curiosity, are there any Registered nurses or LPN's who are switching to pharmacy. If so, what are ur reasons and how many years experience do you have. I'm an RN but i'm now switching to pharmacy bacause it's what i always wanted to do. I went into nursing as a stepping stone to help me with some investments that i've ventured into and also to help me pay for pharmacy school, and also at least i won't be broke when in pharmacy school because there are many enticing options available in the field. Feel free to respond.

Hi---
I'm currently a nurse (RN) in Neonatal ICU with 2+ years experience. I've also had previous experience of working as a pharmacy techinician. Because I kept switching majors (all health-related), I needed to complete my degree and start making and saving money. I enjoy working with the babies but now I'm following my heart and pursuing pharmacy.

 

[toscogo]

I am a LPN and i kinda agree with you, with two double shifts,(16hrs each) I intend to graduate from Pharmacy school with minimum debt. As a pharmacy student i will live comfortably and not worry too much about money. I work in a nursing home for the past two years and i like the attention to detail the Pharmacist require, they are pretty thorough about medication dosage , form and frequency . I have learnt to be more careful when taking orders from the Doctor cos i know the Pharmacist is going to question any order that seems out of place.

 

[heaven]

Hi---
I'm currently a nurse (RN) in Neonatal ICU with 2+ years experience. I've also had previous experience of working as a pharmacy techinician. Because I kept switching majors (all health-related), I needed to complete my degree and start making and saving money. I enjoy working with the babies but now I'm following my heart and pursuing pharmacy.

cool, so when are u planning on enrolling/applying?

 

[heaven]

I am a LPN and i kinda agree with you, with two double shifts,(16hrs each) I intend to graduate from Pharmacy school with minimum debt. As a pharmacy student i will live comfortably and not worry too much about money. I work in a nursing home for the past two years and i like the attention to detail the Pharmacist require, they are pretty thorough about medication dosage , form and frequency . I have learnt to be more careful when taking orders from the Doctor cos i know the Pharmacist is going to question any order that seems out of place.

are you now pursuing a career in pharmacy?

 

[gapeach427]

cool, so when are u planning on enrolling/applying?

I'm planning to retake a couple of classes that I made "C"s in, and have to take Organic 2. I'm planning to apply for the Fall 2007 class. I'm very excited about the pharmacy program and can't wait to start!

When are you going to apply?

 

[toscogo]

Applied and accepted to University of Florida!! 🙂 🙂
Toscogo
Class of 2010

 

[Jeddevil]

I think nursing is the best bang for your buck in healthcare. My wife is an RN, works pool pay in a level one trauma ICU in Scottsdale. With her shift differential for working nights, she makes within change of what pharmacists do here in the phoenix metro area. All of this for only about 3 grand worth of education expense (three years at rural CC in AZ, cost us $16/credit hour in mid 90's). $50 bucks an hour is a pretty good return on minimal investment.

Those of you changing to pharmacy from nursing must hate your job, because otherwise, there isn't much reason to take on all the additional debt when you can get the same return in the right areas within your own occupation.

And anyone saying that nurses only clean up $hit hasn't spent any time with them on the job.

 

[TennisBoy78]

Those of you changing to pharmacy from nursing must hate your job, because otherwise, there isn't much reason to take on all the additional debt when you can get the same return in the right areas within your own occupation.

And anyone saying that nurses only clean up $hit hasn't spent any time with them on the job.

Too many people I know say that my Mom (the RN) is the most compassionate person they ever met, and she is a dam* good nurse. She's worked in all avenues of nursing, has paid her dues. But there are too many things she doesn't like, and when I asked her if I should become one, she was telling me about the shi** work only to discourage me. Yes I would incur much more debt, but I think that I would last longer in pharmacy. Look at the numbers of nurses (many of them that are great nurses) who quit after a only a few years because they are sick and tired of doing the job of 10 other nurses. Hospitals and home healths cut costs all of the time, and they will staff 5 nurses when they should be staffing 10 ALL OF THE TIME.

Nurses work too hard for their money. Yes, the most bang for your buck, and less student debt. But pharmacy no doubt has better working conditions.

I am not a nurse so I have no right stating what they do. I can only tell you what one of the best nurses in my area (my Mom) told me. If I decided to go to nursing, she would have stood by me.

Nursing is very demanding. The people who are deciding to go into pharmacy are probably sick and tired of having to do too much only to have to do more the next week, month, etc. And the lifting, the cleaning up sh**, and the having to be in fifty places at once cannot be fun.

 

[ultracet]

Too many people I know say that my Mom (the RN) is the most compassionate person they ever met, and she is a dam* good nurse. She's worked in all avenues of nursing, has paid her dues. But there are too many things she doesn't like, and when I asked her if I should become one, she was telling me about the shi** work only to discourage me. Yes I would incur much more debt, but I think that I would last longer in pharmacy. Look at the numbers of nurses (many of them that are great nurses) who quit after a only a few years because they are sick and tired of doing the job of 10 other nurses. Hospitals and home healths cut costs all of the time, and they will staff 5 nurses when they should be staffing 10 ALL OF THE TIME.

Nurses work too hard for their money. Yes, the most bang for your buck, and less student debt. But pharmacy no doubt has better working conditions.

I am not a nurse so I have no right stating what they do. I can only tell you what one of the best nurses in my area (my Mom) told me. If I decided to go to nursing, she would have stood by me.

Nursing is very demanding. The people who are deciding to go into pharmacy are probably sick and tired of having to do too much only to have to do more the next week, month, etc. And the lifting, the cleaning up sh**, and the having to be in fifty places at once cannot be fun.

i know i'm personally going into pharmacy because it is low stress, requires absolutely no multitasking, and i will always have adequate help!

 

[calrx]

i know i'm personally going into pharmacy because it is low stress, requires absolutely no multitasking, and i will always have adequate help!

and no hands on contact with patients.
I prefer not to touch other people. lol.

 

[heaven]

I think nursing is the best bang for your buck in healthcare. My wife is an RN, works pool pay in a level one trauma ICU in Scottsdale. With her shift differential for working nights, she makes within change of what pharmacists do here in the phoenix metro area. All of this for only about 3 grand worth of education expense (three years at rural CC in AZ, cost us $16/credit hour in mid 90's). $50 bucks an hour is a pretty good return on minimal investment.

Those of you changing to pharmacy from nursing must hate your job, because otherwise, there isn't much reason to take on all the additional debt when you can get the same return in the right areas within your own occupation.

And anyone saying that nurses only clean up $hit hasn't spent any time with them on the job.

Being and RN is not a very pretty job, it actually requires you compromising your intergrity and pride.You have to live with recieving insults and orders from insatiable patients, working long hours on your feet, doing 1000 things at a time especially if your co-workers are not team players which is usually the case.Conclusively its a very exhausting and sometimes frustrating job, plus your always at risk for rxposing yourself to people with various sorts of diseases like hepatis, HIV, Aids, etc. To tell you the truth most people in the profession that do not go up the ladder to administrative positions (where they do not have to deal with $**t) truly wish to change careers but are too lazy to do so, i am currently 23 and i do not see myself as an RN at 29.To tell you the truth, i can bet that being a nurse can can be proven to decrease one's lifespan because it is frustrating.Let me give you an example, last week a patient threw urine into the face of a nurse at my hospital just because he said he called for assistance and it took the nurse 10minutes to respond, and what he wanted was A FOOT SOAK!!!!, i'm dead serious, and this poor nurse could not do anything because of FEAR OF LOOSING HER LICENSE AND THE BULL **** POLICY THAT THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT. All she got was an apology from the manager. This and many other things that are encountered in this profession is what i regard as B***$**t.

 

[heaven]

I think nursing is the best bang for your buck in healthcare. My wife is an RN, works pool pay in a level one trauma ICU in Scottsdale. With her shift differential for working nights, she makes within change of what pharmacists do here in the phoenix metro area. All of this for only about 3 grand worth of education expense (three years at rural CC in AZ, cost us $16/credit hour in mid 90's). $50 bucks an hour is a pretty good return on minimal investment.

Those of you changing to pharmacy from nursing must hate your job, because otherwise, there isn't much reason to take on all the additional debt when you can get the same return in the right areas within your own occupation.

And anyone saying that nurses only clean up $hit hasn't spent any time with them on the job.

Being and RN is not a very pretty job, it actually requires you compromising your intergrity and pride.You have to live with recieving insults and orders from insatiable patients, working long hours on your feet, doing 1000 things at a time especially if your co-workers are not team players which is usually the case.Conclusively its a very exhausting and sometimes frustrating job, plus your always at risk for rxposing yourself to people with various sorts of diseases like hepatis, HIV, Aids, etc. To tell you the truth most people in the profession that do not go up the ladder to administrative positions (where they do not have to deal with $**t) truly wish to change careers but are too lazy to do so, i am currently 23 and i do not see myself as an RN at 29.To tell you the truth, i can bet that being a nurse can can be proven to decrease one's lifespan because it is frustrating.Let me give you an example, last week a patient threw urine into the face of a nurse at my hospital just because he said he called for assistance and it took the nurse 10minutes to respond, and what he wanted was A FOOT SOAK!!!!, i'm dead serious, and this poor nurse could not do anything because of FEAR OF LOOSING HER LICENSE AND THE B*** $**T POLICY THAT THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT. All she got was an apology from the manager. This and many other things that are encountered in this profession is what i regard as B***$**t.

 

[ButlerPharm.D.]

I don't mean to start something but there is a big difference between a BSN nurse and an Associates or Certificate nurse (R.N. Program).

 

[Jeddevil]

I don't mean to start something but there is a big difference between a BSN nurse and an Associates or Certificate nurse (R.N. Program).

BSN have another year of schooling that add some management classes, etc. If you want to move up in management you need a BSN. You can go the associates way and once hired, any reputable hospital will pay for you to get your BSN on the side if you so desire.

Everyone doesn't want to go into management. They are not the most liked by staff. Not to say they are not nice people, but their jobs make them makes decisions that can piss off the staff.

 

[heaven]

I don't mean to start something but there is a big difference between a BSN nurse and an Associates or Certificate nurse (R.N. Program).

FYI i am a BSN nurse, i clepped most of my classes and that's why i graduated at the age of 22 so do not assume that because i'm 23 that i had an associates, that it a gross and very wrong insinuation. And FYI when they say shortage of nurses, its refering to shortage of Floor Nurses not administrative nurses, because you had a bachelors degree does not mean that you automatically get a management position,as a matter of fact right now management positions require masters degree in nursing and the pay is not that flexible because no overtime is available which is what is the main source of extra money in nursing. For a master's level nursing salary is way less than pharmacy. So please get your facts straight. Most nurses with bachelors degree in nursing are floor nurses and thus are subjected to the horrors encountered in the profession.

 

[heaven]

BSN have another year of schooling that add some management classes, etc. If you want to move up in management you need a BSN. You can go the associates way and once hired, any reputable hospital will pay for you to get your BSN on the side if you so desire.

Everyone doesn't want to go into management. They are not the most liked by staff. Not to say they are not nice people, but their jobs make them makes decisions that can piss off the staff.

FYI i am a BSN nurse, i clepped most of my classes and that's why i graduated at the age of 22 so do not assume that because i'm 23 that i had an associates, that it a gross and very wrong insinuation. And FYI when they say shortage of nurses, its refering to shortage of Floor Nurses not administrative nurses, because you had a bachelors degree does not mean that you automatically get a management position,as a matter of fact right now management positions require masters degree in nursing and the pay is not that flexible because no overtime is available which is what is the main source of extra money in nursing. For a master's level nursing salary is way less than pharmacy. So please get your facts straight. Most nurses with bachelors degree in nursing are floor nurses and thus are subjected to the horrors encountered in the profession

 

[Jeddevil]

FYI, I don't give a crap if you have a BSN. That doesn't mean $hit! You havn't been on the job long enough to learn anything. I don't have the time to fight it out with some young, primmadonna, "I don't have an associates, I have a BSN", know-it-all RN who doesn't have the backbone to work in her chosen profession because of the "horrors encountered" in it. That is just like the pharmacists on here and think they are going to be better pharmacists because they go to UCSF (just for example people) than USN. It is a false premise.

You got into nursing for all the wrong reasons, investments and whatever else you listed. Now you don't like it because you have to clean up $hit. You knew what you were getting into.

When I got onto this thread, it wasn't to get in a pissing match with some whiney BSN who thinks he/she knows everything about nursing. It was to state that nursing has paid off very well for my family, it is a very in-demand profession that pays very well for what you have to pay to get into it. My wife making over 60K a year working two nights a week as a nurse is a great return on investment for about 3K of schooling.

Heaven, make sure to tell the interview committee, IF you ever get a pharmacy interview, how it bothered you so much in your last job doing the dirty work. How you were subjected to such horrible conditions that you had to change. Interview committees love people without a backbone, so you should be a shoe-in.

 

[heaven]

FYI, I don't give a crap if you have a BSN. That doesn't mean $hit! You havn't been on the job long enough to learn anything. I don't have the time to fight it out with some young, primmadonna, "I don't have an associates, I have a BSN", know-it-all RN who doesn't have the backbone to work in her chosen profession because of the "horrors encountered" in it. That is just like the pharmacists on here and think they are going to be better pharmacists because they go to UCSF (just for example people) than USN. It is a false premise.

You got into nursing for all the wrong reasons, investments and whatever else you listed. Now you don't like it because you have to clean up $hit. You knew what you were getting into.

When I got onto this thread, it wasn't to get in a pissing match with some whiney BSN who thinks he/she knows everything about nursing. It was to state that nursing has paid off very well for my family, it is a very in-demand profession that pays very well for what you have to pay to get into it. My wife making over 60K a year working two nights a week as a nurse is a great return on investment for about 3K of schooling.

Heaven, make sure to tell the interview committee, IF you ever get a pharmacy interview, how it bothered you so much in your last job doing the dirty work. How you were subjected to such horrible conditions that you had to change. Interview committees love people without a backbone, so you should be a shoe-in.

Hey, *****. You hardly even know me, and besides if you did not try to start a match then how come your initial post sounded the way that it did? Incase you did not notice, its dripping with sarcasm and reprimand. As for everything else you wrote, if you were mature enough you would have just let it be instead of jumping to conclusions about whether i am a BSN nurse or otherwise. Or did i touch a sore nerve by setting the record straight? Besides ur wife makes more than 60K, so what, so do i even though i may be new in the field. why don't you go and do the same thing as your wife did if ur so passionate about it. When i began this post i had no intention of attacking your wife so mind as you throw insults around. FYI In response to one of your silly sentences, my stats= GPA 4.00. January Pcat very optimistics, why don't you go figure my chances for fall 2006!!!Apparently from this post you definitely have maturity issues and some other unresolved issues. Prior to this post, you may have APPEARED to be an intelligent person but that was until you opened your vermin-ridden mouth. Apparently, Every time you open your mouth, some idiot starts talking.And next time you decide to talk /throw insults around you pseudo-intellectual, undefinedoverly-ambitious(false appearance), vile-smelling, putrid waste of a living organism. Do yourself and everyone else a favor: jump into a raging forest fire or please seriously consider becoming a missing person.

 

[toscogo]

Guys lighten up!! Weare suppose to be offering comments not throwing insults.Each person has he/her reason for switching careers. I love being a LPN but thought i was too smart to stay in nursing (by that i mean the volume and kind of work you have to do).A 20+ guy changing the Foley cath on 80yrs olds is not funny,no matter the amount of money you get paid !!! MD school for 10-15 years was out of the question,loving chemistry and other sciences propelled me to Pharmacy.A lot of students flood to nursing because of the pay, but they are disillusioned after a few years in it cos the pay dosen't justify the work.Other find it very fulfilling and ignore the pay while the most of us just try and max out on OT. cos the OT makes the difference.
Heaven
Why didn't you apply this year? Have you done your Organic I and II, Physics I and II and Calculus ?

 

[ButlerPharm.D.]

LPN's (Licensed Practical Nurses),under law, aren't able to work unless they are under the direct supervision of a NURSE (R.N.) of some sort. And to Heaven, I was not saying that you didn't have a BSN, I was simply trying to enlighten everyone on this thread to the fact that being a "nurse" could mean LPN,RN, Assoc. Nurse, Bachelors Nurse and so on.

 

[heaven]

Guys lighten up!! Weare suppose to be offering comments not throwing insults.Each person has he/her reason for switching careers. I love being a LPN but thought i was too smart to stay in nursing (by that i mean the volume and kind of work you have to do).A 20+ guy changing the Foley cath on 80yrs olds is not funny,no matter the amount of money you get paid !!! MD school for 10-15 years was out of the question,loving chemistry and other sciences propelled me to Pharmacy.A lot of students flood to nursing because of the pay, but they are disillusioned after a few years in it cos the pay dosen't justify the work.Other find it very fulfilling and ignore the pay while the most of us just try and max out on OT. cos the OT makes the difference.
Heaven
Why didn't you apply this year? Have you done your Organic I and II, Physics I and II and Calculus ?

thanks for ur input. i'm taking the final class of organic chemistry and physics this semeter. Then i have only calculus left to take in the summer. that's why i'll be applying for fall 2007

 

[bananaface]

Please stop the fighting and namecalling. This is a place for collegial discussion. Thanks. 🙂

 

[gapeach427]

thanks for ur input. i'm taking the final class of organic chemistry and physics this semeter. Then i have only calculus left to take in the summer. that's why i'll be applying for fall 2007

I still need to take Bio 2, Organic 2, (retaking) Chem 2, and a speech class. Like you, I'll be applying for 2007. I'm very excited and motivated by this career change to pharmacy.

 

[TennisBoy78]

Busted out laughing after reading Heaven's post.

Good luck to you Heaven, dont let an intellectual idiot get you down (I dont have to worry about that one).

Nursing is a rewarding profession if you readily can handle all of the bull$h** that comes at you. Heaven, my Mom is now an administrator of a smaller home health agency, and finally the big wigs at corporate hired a younger guy to assist her. My mom is so fed up of the daily bullsh** that when the few times corporate gave raises, she requested more time off instead. Of course she is older, but she persuaded me not to go into the profession.

As an administrator, all day long she hears employees bit** and complain because another person got the easy patients or that they have to see more patients than another worker.

Even one of my best friends, who just became a nurse (she's 29) is already starting to get frustrated. The problem with the nursing profession is that there are too many demands placed on you. It is attractive because you can get an Associates relatively anywhere in a few years, but the honeymoon is short.

 

[bananaface]

Good luck to you Heaven, dont let an intellectual idiot get you down (I dont have to worry about that one).

Please see the warning above.

If the discussion cannot remain civil, this thread will be closed. I encourage everyone to be respectful of your peers so that the discussion can continue.

Thanks. 🙂

 

[Shares143]

Hi, I'm also a Registered Nurse switching over to Pharmacy... Still taking some pre-reqs and I'm hoping to apply soon... I'm doing well with my grades (thanks to God), but my main worry is the interview... I get nervous easily and I tend to stammer and blank out... Any advice?

 

[toscogo]

This may not sound quite like what you would like to hear but keep doing well in your pre classes, an outstanding GPA makes you quite attractive and when the time comes for applying you will feel less burden about interview cos you grades speaks for you!! You will come thru in your Pharmcas essay about your daily interactions with patients, Pharmacist and Doctors and having directly adminstered mediaction to patients you have seen the powerful therpeutics effects of Drugs. You have to milk the nurse angle!! 😀

Toscogo
University of Florida
Class of 2010

 

[Shares143]

Thanks Toscogo!

 

[usi]

My friend is an NP with a degree in pediatrics from Yale (Masters).
She loves her job, and now gets to do it part time, since she has a baby.
She gets to diagnose and write prescriptions.
She is also very very smart.

There is all kinds out there.
Personally...Hats off to you nurses...I could not do your job.

 

[TennisBoy78]

My friend is an NP with a degree in pediatrics from Yale (Masters).
She loves her job, and now gets to do it part time, since she has a baby.
She gets to diagnose and write prescriptions.
She is also very very smart.

There is all kinds out there.
Personally...Hats off to you nurses...I could not do your job.

A Nurse Practioner is in a completely different category. Not that their job is always clean, but I doubt they would be cleaning up $h** like an RN or LPN.

Also, there is much more schooling involved with becoming a Nurse Practioner (maybe more than Pharmacy), so the quality of working conditions for a NP compared to an RN/LPN is like comparing a Rolls Royce to a Ford.

 

[TennisBoy78]

My friend is an NP with a degree in pediatrics from Yale (Masters).
She loves her job, and now gets to do it part time, since she has a baby.
She gets to diagnose and write prescriptions.
She is also very very smart.

There is all kinds out there.
Personally...Hats off to you nurses...I could not do your job.

A Nurse Practioner is in a completely different category. Not that their job is always clean, but I doubt they would be cleaning up $h** like an RN or LPN.

Also, there is much more schooling involved with becoming a Nurse Practioner (maybe more than Pharmacy), so the quality of working conditions for a NP compared to that of a RN/LPN is like comparing a Rolls Royce to a Ford.

 

[heaven]

This may not sound quite like what you would like to hear but keep doing well in your pre classes, an outstanding GPA makes you quite attractive and when the time comes for applying you will feel less burden about interview cos you grades speaks for you!! You will come thru in your Pharmcas essay about your daily interactions with patients, Pharmacist and Doctors and having directly adminstered mediaction to patients you have seen the powerful therpeutics effects of Drugs. You have to milk the nurse angle!! 😀

Toscogo
University of Florida
Class of 2010

i sent u a private message.could you please respond. thanks.

 

[toscogo]

Hope it helped, sorry been on 16 hours shift back to back to back!!
Toscogo

 

[PRINCESS_IJ]

i was browsing through past posts, this was a very interesting and heated discussion.

 

[toscogo]

People get worked up for nothing,are you a RN too?