RN to pharmacist or NP ???

[blueskyrntopharm]

Hi,

I am a RN who is currently working in the hospital and i wanted to switch to pharmacy or further my education to become NP. I was accepted to both pharmacy and NP program and i need to decide which one to study. I really need your opinion from pharmacist, NP to advise me which route would be best for the lifestyle, working environment, stress level between two career?

As a nurse, i feel exhausted at the end of the shift because i have million things that i have to get done during 8 hours shift and not to forget the unexpected things which can happen anytime during shift and this can add up the working load.

For pharmacist:
Pro:
-Better working enviroment/ less stress (i can be wrong, please correct me here)
-Decent pay (as a RN in northern california, i make as much as pharmacist but i just want a better working enviroment or at least less stress so i can last long in my career). I just cannot see myself as nurse (physically and mentally exhausted) for the rest of my life.
Con:
-I have to quit my current job and take a huge amount of loan.
-I will lose my income for the next four years
-The job outlook seems bad. I dont want to work in retail, so i will aim for hospital position and i will apply for residency for sure. However, i may not be able to secure a hospital position considering how saturated the job market these days is ?

For NP:
Pro:
- I can still keep my job while studying NP school --> less debt
- I will graduate quicker (in 2 years vs 4 years for pharmacy)
Con:
Patient contact and all the stress related to it. (As a nurse, i was yelled at many times by patients for simple things such as not answering call light fast enough even though i was busy to take care of other sick patients). I am not sure how much more stressful if i have to deal with patients as a NP.
Education: NP school is only two years and it is online. I am afraid that i may not have enough training to take care of my patients safely.

Therefore, i am really confused what should i do for the best quality of life and security of the job? Please chime in with your thoughts, advises, comments.

Thank you

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[KatleyS]

Nursing Practitioner gets my vote. You're already an RN so to go to pharmacy school would be like starting from scratch in my opinion. I feel like there's more options for you as an NP, but I could be wrong. My perception of NP is that they work mostly in clinics and work closely with MD's like PA's. Also, the Nursing union in California is really strong and stronger than the pharmacist's union, so there's that advantage, keep in mind.

 

[blueskyrntopharm]

Hi KatleyS,

Thank you for your response. How do you feel about stress level as a pharmacist in the hospital? I think as a NP, i have to access and make diagnosis. This can be very stressful considering the amount of education in NP school (2 years vs 7 year medical school). Therefore, i think as a pharmacist, i will have adequate training or competent enough to work without worrying about misdiagnosing patient and this is very scary for me.

 

[escanoke]

I work in a big hospital and clinical pharmacists are never in the pharmacy and upstairs in these closets that have 2 computers for 2 pharmacists. For the most part they're stress levels aren't bad unless it's a heavy chemo day, doctors putting in orders in correctly and taking forever to revise said order while the nurse for the PT is calling/paging why hasn't X med been sent up yet or verified even though they see the doc has put the order in hours ago. Then you have other nurses calling asking if they can start an order to be started the next day.

Just remember that 60-70% RPh jobs are in retail and that residency spots are very competitive with 50 applicants for a seat. It def won't be as physically demanding as your RN job and will be IMO less stressful but with its own challenges. But if you can find and obtain a hospital RPh job it would def provide you with what your looking for, it's just getting the job.

For your concerns about being competent enough to be your NP, I think that it's just the unknown and no clear picture of how well you will fulfill the NP responsibilities that is making you feel that you might not be competent but I think if you pick the right program, that you're smart enough to become a great NP


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[mentos]

Go NP, its a no brainer. There are no pharmacy jobs, why risk a mortgage for the same pay? Quit kidding yourself about the low stress, most pharmacists are stressed. Walk into any cvs and the NP at the minute clinic is usually smiling and chill. Then go to the pharmacy and see how stressed the pharmacist looks.

 

[OmiPharmD]

This is an easy decision. Do not go to pharmacy school. The jobs are getting scarce quickly and the pay is declining.

I live in a less than desirable area in the Midwest which has been historically difficult to staff and even we have no openings. Retail isn't hiring here either. But I do see NP positions available.

 

[KatleyS]

Hi KatleyS,

Thank you for your response. How do you feel about stress level as a pharmacist in the hospital? I think as a NP, i have to access and make diagnosis. This can be very stressful considering the amount of education in NP school (2 years vs 7 year medical school). Therefore, i think as a pharmacist, i will have adequate training or competent enough to work without worrying about misdiagnosing patient and this is very scary for me.

The stress level of a hospital pharmacist is not similar to a typical unit nurse/floor nurse, I agree. However, hospital pharmacy can be stressful, too, especially when you have a lot of orders to process and have a lot of phone calls to answer. In CA at least, I know nursing has a fixed patient:RN ratio. There's no such ratio in pharmacy so if you're assigned a particular unit in a decentralized clinical pharmacy situation - you could have 20 to 40 patients medication profiles to monitor. On the operational (classic hospital pharmacy) side, you need to learn how to prioritize certain medication orders for dispensing and ensuring medications get to the nurse who is attending the patient on time. Depending on your hospital census - if it is full to bursting (which typically happens during flu season) you could find yourself very busy.

Like others have said, I think it depends on what sort of NP you will become. I would suggest asking other NP's who have made the transition from floor RN to NP to see how they felt about becoming suddenly responsible for assessment and diagnosing patients.

Also, pharmacists are not free from liability issues either. If we accept the wrong dose on a medication order or dispense the wrong drug, depending on how serious the medication error is, we can easily get terminated and lose our license. There are some tragic cases in the news that highlight this fact.

 

[gwarm01]

Lots of nurse practitioners work in low-stress ambulatory settings. That's probably the way to go.

 

[apex8]

NP, don't even put any thought into pharmacy school. You are WAY better off as an NP than you could ever be as a pharmacist in the market today. Your future is limitless as an NP, whereas in pharmacy you may find yourself with no job or stuck in retail which is the comparable to the amount of stress you have as a bedside nurse.

You might also consider other positions as an RN. There are many different departments, locations, and positions that you can qualify for with just a couple years of experience. Try transitional care, discharge, triage, OR, NICU, etc

Bottom line: stay away from pharmacy.

 

[ldiot]

Lol pharmacy is better working environment... we have a comedian here

 

[TheBlaah]

Lol pharmacy is better working environment... we have a comedian here

Until you have to digitally remove a fecal impaction, the comparison doesn't come close.

I do agree that NP is the way to go though.

 

[ldiot]

Until you have to digitally remove a fecal impaction, the comparison doesn't come close.

I do agree that NP is the way to go though.

I don't know many nurses that have had guns pulled on them

 

[TheBlaah]

I don't know many nurses that have had guns pulled on them

I personally know 3 different nurses in the last 6 months who've had 1k stolen from them from their breakroom (credit cards). And 1 night nursed who got a gun pulled on them in the parking lot.

I've also heard of AIDS patients biting down on their lips and spitting at nurses.

But this isn't really the point, as those are crime-related and for the most part are incidents that happen on a statistically low basis anyway.

 

[ldiot]

And after a shift of being treated like a glorified cash register I've been shot at through a drive-through window lol. A sad field healthcare is from all angles.

I personally know 3 different nurses in the last 6 months who've had 1k stolen from them from their breakroom (credit cards). And 1 night nursed who got a gun pulled on them in the parking lot.

I've also heard of AIDS patients biting down on their lips and spitting at nurses.

But this isn't really the point, as those are crime-related and for the most part are incidents that happen on a statistically low basis anyway.

Did they catch the nurse that was stealing from the breakroom? At least nurses get breaks

 

[lane one]

And after a shift of being treated like a glorified cash register I've been shot at through a drive-through window lol. A sad field healthcare is from all angles.



Did they catch the nurse that was stealing from the breakroom? At least nurses get breaks

Being shot at through a drive through window isn't exactly your average day to day. And I'm pretty sure OP was asking about hospital pharmacy.

 

[blueskyrntopharm]

Lol pharmacy is better working environment... we have a comedian here

I have been a nurse for a few years and i have seen difficult patients who are really hard to please no matter what you do. For example, i have one patient who has high blood pressure so i need to take care of his blood pressure first. Then another patient who's constantly calling for me just to insert his suppository. He got mad at me and reported me to my nurse manager that i ignored him although i explained to him that i will come back to him as soon as i take care for the other patient. My manager called me in to criticize for poor time management, but how can i expect my patient has high blood pressure? and when this happens, as a nurse i have to take care of him first. He is my priority while the other one is completely fine. All he needs just suppository. I guess my manager does not want him to report her for ignoring his complaint against me. This is just a very minor thing in a million things that i have to deal with every day.

yes i agree that in retail it can be stressful, and i was asking about hospital pharmacy where i can work in front of computer to verify medications, answer phone call. This seems a much better cleaner working environment for me than dealing with all the craziness on the floor.

 

[BidingMyTime]

yes i agree that in retail it can be stressful, and i was asking about hospital pharmacy where i can work in front of computer to verify medications, answer phone call. This seems a much better cleaner working environment for me than dealing with all the craziness on the floor.

Statistically, the vast majority of pharmacist end up working in retail (and many not by choice.) Do NOT go to pharmacy school, unless you would be satisfied working as a retail pharmacist, because statistically that is where you will end up working.

My vote, since you are already an RN, build on that, instead of going into a different field.

 

[DrDrugs2012]

First, you don't have to quit your profession to go to pharmacy school. If anything, in place of being a pharmacy intern, you could pick up weekend shifts as a nure, make far more money, and reduce your expense of pharmacy school by taking fewer loans.

Second, I still recommend NP. There is a high demand for nursing care and as insurance companies continue developing patient centered models (which they are recognizing as financially valuable) the demand for NPs will continue to skyrocket (not limited like with PharmD because PharmD are not recognized by medicare as providers whereas nurses are). This means you may not even need to have constant worry about the pressure of hospital life but more clinic-type 1 on 1 - if that's what you are looking for. Lot more stability and quality of life with NP (high demand low supply means you can make the demands, not the employer)

 

[Lnsean]

NP has way more options and flexibility. With pharmacy, you're looking at 60% of the jobs being in retail and a handful of jobs in the hospital really. Your call...no one here is trying to discourage you from your dreams...if pharmacy is your dream...go for it...but know that the market is getting very saturated, working conditions are horrible, and there is little vertical or horizontal mobility.

From the way I see it, NPs and PAs will soon replace MDs/DOs for primary care...that's a huge chunk of the healthcare slice that is your future. It looks very secured as automation cannot really replace clinical diagnosis. Until they perfect Watson (IBM supercomputer)...I think health professions with prescriptive authority and are able to diagnose and treat pts will be on a solid footing.

 

[Pharmd = Phake Doctor]

I have been a nurse for a few years and i have seen difficult patients who are really hard to please no matter what you do. For example, i have one patient who has high blood pressure so i need to take care of his blood pressure first. Then another patient who's constantly calling for me just to insert his suppository. He got mad at me and reported me to my nurse manager that i ignored him although i explained to him that i will come back to him as soon as i take care for the other patient. My manager called me in to criticize for poor time management, but how can i expect my patient has high blood pressure? and when this happens, as a nurse i have to take care of him first. He is my priority while the other one is completely fine. All he needs just suppository. I guess my manager does not want him to report her for ignoring his complaint against me. This is just a very minor thing in a million things that i have to deal with every day.

yes i agree that in retail it can be stressful, and i was asking about hospital pharmacy where i can work in front of computer to verify medications, answer phone call. This seems a much better cleaner working environment for me than dealing with all the craziness on the floor.

Do all pre-pharmers go through the stages of denial and bargaining at the same time?

Wait until you're a staff pharmacist in a hospital.

• Get prepared to be yelled at by physicians, nurses, and janitors on the phone.
• Did you correct a potentially fatal mistake but decided to call the physician on his day off? Be prepared to pay many times over.
• Get used to answering the phone every five minutes because nurses will constantly feel the need to remind you that they need their drugs now! STAT!
• Whenever a nurse has issues with Meditech or Pyxis, be prepared to provide IT support. ALL THE TIME.
• If a nurse loses a med you just sent up, be prepared to send it again. And again. And again.
• Don't even think you can boss the nurses around. They outnumber you 20 to 1 (if you're lucky). Most of the hospital admins will side with the nurses because many of them were once nurses who worked their way up into managerial positions. Guess who has more political power? You are there to serve them.
• Also know that the pharmacy does not bring in money to the hospital. It can bleed money because insurance pays a set budget for treating each patient, so every drug dispensed decreases the amount of cash acquired from treating each patient. Therefore pharmacy is considered a 'cost center.' But nursing units bring in money; their existence allows for the admittance of patients and thus the inflow of cash into a hospital. Some units bring in boatloads of cash (NICU because Medicaid will pay millions to treat a preemie). Nurses on those units are untouchable. Prepare to be their b*tch.

And don't fall for that 'clinical' pharmacist bull they spout at the pharmacy schools. The purely clinical pharmacists have a very limited scope of practice. They can't prescribe drugs, they don't have the skills to perform a physical exam, and they're useless when it comes to treating patients outside of therapies involving drug use.

Purely clinical pharmacists can come up with a treatment plan, but its up to the discretion of the MD/DO/PA/NP if they will follow it.

Guess who has the autonomy to prescribe drugs, do physical exams and diagnose, and execute treatment plans for patients. ----> NPs

Its the year 2016

The old dynamic of MD/DO >>>>PharmD>>Nurse is so 10 year ago.

The power structure has tilted to MD/DO>>PA/NP>>RN/BSN>>>Janitor>>>>>PharmD

It seems that the OP is wanting to get out of the dirty, stressful aspects of nursing. Once you get that NP degree, you'll have an office where you'll get to sit in front of a computer and do some neat "doctor"-ish things. No cleaning people's mess. The only time you see patients is as a 'practitioner'.

Plus it costs almost nothing to go to NP school (<$10K a year at state schools).

 

[NYCGuy86]

Education: NP school is only two years and it is online. I am afraid that i may not have enough training to take care of my patients safely.

Just FYI, there are many non-online NP programs (and even for the ones that are "online", you will still have clinical rotations to do, and many of these programs also require a couple on campus sessions).

Being in northern California, have you looked into UCSF? It has great, rigorous, NP programs, none of which are online, iirc.

 

[KatleyS]

I have been a nurse for a few years and i have seen difficult patients who are really hard to please no matter what you do. For example, i have one patient who has high blood pressure so i need to take care of his blood pressure first. Then another patient who's constantly calling for me just to insert his suppository. He got mad at me and reported me to my nurse manager that i ignored him although i explained to him that i will come back to him as soon as i take care for the other patient. My manager called me in to criticize for poor time management, but how can i expect my patient has high blood pressure? and when this happens, as a nurse i have to take care of him first. He is my priority while the other one is completely fine. All he needs just suppository. I guess my manager does not want him to report her for ignoring his complaint against me. This is just a very minor thing in a million things that i have to deal with every day.

yes i agree that in retail it can be stressful, and i was asking about hospital pharmacy where i can work in front of computer to verify medications, answer phone call. This seems a much better cleaner working environment for me than dealing with all the craziness on the floor.

Sorry that happened to you. Like many others have said, I do think going the NP route would be the most efficient and practical for you. It's a different story, however, if you feel like you really like pharmacy although you haven't really stated any other reason other than 'looks like better working conditions than what I currently have.' That's not a good enough reason to switch careers, just in my opinion.

 

[FCMike11]

I mean, besides all other lifestyle factors, these two choices are incredibly distinct careers. I mean as in what you will be doing day to day.

But, can work through NP school, more job opportunities, and general better future outlook.

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[lane one]

Statistically, the vast majority of pharmacist end up working in retail (and many not by choice.) Do NOT go to pharmacy school, unless you would be satisfied working as a retail pharmacist, because statistically that is where you will end up working.

My vote, since you are already an RN, build on that, instead of going into a different field.

I disagree with the first part. If you really want to work inpatient you can do a residency, or two, or work overnights. But you're really dead set on inpatient from the beginning, you can do it. Still, NP is the way to go.

Do all pre-pharmers go through the stages of denial and bargaining at the same time?

Wait until you're a staff pharmacist in a hospital.

• Get prepared to be yelled at by physicians, nurses, and janitors on the phone.
• Did you correct a potentially fatal mistake but decided to call the physician on his day off? Be prepared to pay many times over.
• Get used to answering the phone every five minutes because nurses will constantly feel the need to remind you that they need their drugs now! STAT!
• Whenever a nurse has issues with Meditech or Pyxis, be prepared to provide IT support. ALL THE TIME.
• If a nurse loses a med you just sent up, be prepared to send it again. And again. And again.
• Don't even think you can boss the nurses around. They outnumber you 20 to 1 (if you're lucky). Most of the hospital admins will side with the nurses because many of them were once nurses who worked their way up into managerial positions. Guess who has more political power? You are there to serve them.
• Also know that the pharmacy does not bring in money to the hospital. It can bleed money because insurance pays a set budget for treating each patient, so every drug dispensed decreases the amount of cash acquired from treating each patient. Therefore pharmacy is considered a 'cost center.' But nursing units bring in money; their existence allows for the admittance of patients and thus the inflow of cash into a hospital. Some units bring in boatloads of cash (NICU because Medicaid will pay millions to treat a preemie). Nurses on those units are untouchable. Prepare to be their b*tch.

And don't fall for that 'clinical' pharmacist bull they spout at the pharmacy schools. The purely clinical pharmacists have a very limited scope of practice. They can't prescribe drugs, they don't have the skills to perform a physical exam, and they're useless when it comes to treating patients outside of therapies involving drug use.

Purely clinical pharmacists can come up with a treatment plan, but its up to the discretion of the MD/DO/PA/NP if they will follow it.

Guess who has the autonomy to prescribe drugs, do physical exams and diagnose, and execute treatment plans for patients. ----> NPs

Its the year 2016

The old dynamic of MD/DO >>>>PharmD>>Nurse is so 10 year ago.

The power structure has tilted to MD/DO>>PA/NP>>RN/BSN>>>Janitor>>>>>PharmD

It seems that the OP is wanting to get out of the dirty, stressful aspects of nursing. Once you get that NP degree, you'll have an office where you'll get to sit in front of a computer and do some neat "doctor"-ish things. No cleaning people's mess. The only time you see patients is as a 'practitioner'.

Plus it costs almost nothing to go to NP school (<$10K a year at state schools).

Lol dude janitors? I mean I know what you're getting at with the hierarchy but its not THAT bad. If you can wrap your mind around the fact that your department exists to provide a service for nurses then it isn't that bad. 2nd the part about being the NICU bitch. Glad it's not just my hospital...

 

[mentos]

LoL janitors!! This forum is funny.

 

[gwarm01]

LoL janitors!! This forum is funny.

You laugh but a lady from environmental services once came into the pharmacy to tell me there was a caterpillar in the hallway. I guess she was afraid to deal with it herself.

 

[Pharmd = Phake Doctor]

Lol dude janitors? I mean I know what you're getting at with the hierarchy but its not THAT bad. If you can wrap your mind around the fact that your department exists to provide a service for nurses then it isn't that bad. 2nd the part about being the NICU bitch. Glad it's not just my hospital...

Yeah, just kidding about the janitors bit (or am I?)

When putting away IV bags in the pharmacy, us techs refused to break down the cardboard boxes that contained the IV bags. The janitors got PO'ed about having to break down the boxes, so the director/head of environmental services had a stern talk with the DOP. We got an email from the DOP about how we needed to break down the boxes.

My post was meant to highlight the negative aspects of hospital pharmacy since the OP only has experience with the negative aspects of nursing.

 

[mentos]

Yeah, just kidding about the janitors bit (or am I?)

When putting away IV bags in the pharmacy, us techs refused to break down the cardboard boxes that contained the IV bags. The janitors got PO'ed about having to break down the boxes, so the director/head of environmental services had a stern talk with the DOP. We got an email from the DOP about how we needed to break down the boxes.

Well that is annoying when people don't break down boxes. I hate it when my apartment building neighbors fill up the dumpster with boxes that aren't broken down. Why didn't you guys do it? Even when I worked at Burger King as a teenager, we would break down boxes before we threw them out.

 

[Pharmd = Phake Doctor]

Well that is annoying when people don't break down boxes. I hate it when my apartment building neighbors fill up the dumpster with boxes that aren't broken down. Why didn't you guys do it? Even when I worked at Burger King as a teenager, we would break down boxes before we threw them out.

I did. But techs on other shifts didn't. Funny how there's a saturation of pharmacists but not of techs. I guess you can't hire anyone reliable at $9 starting/$15 max hourly wage. The techs who have worked at my hospital for over twenty years only make $15 an hour! That's the same wage as me and I only have three years' experience as a pharm tech. I made more money working at Red Robins.

We get geriatric techs, alcoholic techs, etc... Hard to get good people when grocery store clerks, gas station attendants, and restaurant waiters can get better pay at the right company.

We also got a pothead tech too, he lost a bunch of narcos over the weekend. Thankfully, the nurses found it lying on the floor of the nursing unit. Totally makes the pharmacy department not look like a bunch of dumbf@#$s.

 

[mentos]

Techs should be getting $20+/hour for all the crap they put up with. There would be no pharmacy without them.

 

[mik30102]

Without question NP, or alternatively consider MD/DO if you truly want a vastly stronger background.

 

[apbuchanan]

I graduated with my BSN and worked as an RN for 6 years before applying to pharmacy school. I understand the stress, believe me. Without a doubt, I'd tell you to choose the midlevel route. Midlevel practitioners are where it's at right now and you'll make far more doing that than you will in pharmacy. I'd have followed my own advice if I didn't despise people so much.

 

[blueskyrntopharm]

I graduated with my BSN and worked as an RN for 6 years before applying to pharmacy school. I understand the stress, believe me. Without a doubt, I'd tell you to choose the midlevel route. Midlevel practitioners are where it's at right now and you'll make far more doing that than you will in pharmacy. I'd have followed my own advice if I didn't despise people so much.

I think as you are coming from the same background, you really understand how i feel. I may make more as midlevel but i am not sure if i am gonna be happy in this field because we have one thing in common, we both try to void people contact as much as possible. I think that how bad nursing had turned me into. How do you feel now since now you're in pharmacy school? If you have to do it all over, you will still pick pharmacy over midlevel?

 

[PAtoPharm]

I graduated with my BSN and worked as an RN for 6 years before applying to pharmacy school. I understand the stress, believe me. Without a doubt, I'd tell you to choose the midlevel route. Midlevel practitioners are where it's at right now and you'll make far more doing that than you will in pharmacy. I'd have followed my own advice if I didn't despise people so much.

Is it common for NPs to make more than pharmacists? Isn't the average NP salary around $90k (but with a much lower student loan, I'm sure)?

 

[gwarm01]

Is it common for NPs to make more than pharmacists? Isn't the average NP salary around $90k (but with a much lower student loan, I'm sure)?

Depends on the field and location. I've seen job postings for psych NPs that pay significantly more than pharmacists.

 

[CUpharmD2013]

Depends on the field and location. I've seen job postings for psych NPs that pay significantly more than pharmacists.

My fiance is going to school to become an NP in psych and that is true. I'm pretty sure that specialties, such as psych, require a DNP, though. I'm guessing that a master's level NP does not make as much as a pharmacist.

 

[PAtoPharm]

Depends on the field and location. I've seen job postings for psych NPs that pay significantly more than pharmacists.

I forgot that I read a while back that psych NPs were making $120k+ to start. Unfortunately, spending 8-10 hours/day counseling people on their psychiatric/mental health issues is just one of those jobs I could never see myself doing.

 

[CUpharmD2013]

I forgot that I read a while back that psych NPs were making $120k+ to start. Unfortunately, spending 8-10 hours/day counseling people on their psychiatric/mental health issues is just one of those jobs I could never see myself doing.

Yeah, the stories my fiance tells me will blow your mind. She's a special breed. I could never do it either.

 

[apbuchanan]

I think as you are coming from the same background, you really understand how i feel. I may make more as midlevel but i am not sure if i am gonna be happy in this field because we have one thing in common, we both try to void people contact as much as possible. I think that how bad nursing had turned me into. How do you feel now since now you're in pharmacy school? If you have to do it all over, you will still pick pharmacy over midlevel?

If I could do it all over again, I would have chosen nurse anesthesia. That was my whole purpose for going in to nursing, but life happens, and a CRNA I am not. Alas, I enjoy pharmacy. I graduate this year and will be doing residency, which will hopefully propel me in the direction I want to go. Deep at heart, clinical medicine is still my passion. If I had to choose between being an NP/PA and pharmacy, I'd still choose pharmacy. Poor job outlook, lowering pay, and machines replacing us, blah blah blah, it's still a good career and will allow me to not hate my job every day.

My ex husband graduated with his masters as a PA and now makes ridiculous money working in a speciality office. He makes far more than I ever will, but he also has to talk to people a lot more than I do...haha. It's all about what you want out of a career.

 

[KARM12]

You could also get a master's degree in another area such as an MHA, MPH, or MBA. You could work in quality, patient safety, management, or infection control to get out of a direct patient care role. I think a nursing degree provides a lot more options than a pharmacist degree. The two careers are stressful in different ways....I would not say being a pharmacist is less stressful, it is just a different type of stress. Plus you will take on more school and more debt without any better job prospects.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

If I could do it all over again, I would have chosen nurse anesthesia. That was my whole purpose for going in to nursing, but life happens, and a CRNA I am not. Alas, I enjoy pharmacy. I graduate this year and will be doing residency, which will hopefully propel me in the direction I want to go. Deep at heart, clinical medicine is still my passion. If I had to choose between being an NP/PA and pharmacy, I'd still choose pharmacy. Poor job outlook, lowering pay, and machines replacing us, blah blah blah, it's still a good career and will allow me to not hate my job every day.

My ex husband graduated with his masters as a PA and now makes ridiculous money working in a speciality office. He makes far more than I ever will, but he also has to talk to people a lot more than I do...haha. It's all about what you want out of a career.

Post actual numbers please, and what state you/hubby work in, and what specialty.

I am genuinely curious, as most PA's I know make ~90k.

 

[apbuchanan]

Post actual numbers please, and what state you/hubby work in, and what specialty.

I am genuinely curious, as most PA's I know make ~90k.

Large orthopedic speciality group in the midwest, when we divorced 3 years ago, he was making 150k+a 20k bonus yearly. He graduated in 2010. Not too shabby, eh? Too bad he's a rotten person.

 

[Lnsean]

Post actual numbers please, and what state you/hubby work in, and what specialty.

I am genuinely curious, as most PA's I know make ~90k.

PA's are getting up there in terms of pay...My cousin graduated in CT and got an offer in Cali 98k starting with 10k sign on bonus. I think this year his bonus was like 8k or something...and he's only been with that practice for 1 year.

 

[emergentmd]

This is not even a question. Go NP, there is no reason to pick Pharm over NP unless you REALLY love pharmacy. I can't not think of many reason to go to Pharm vs NP and many reason to choose NP.

1. You can work in clinics vs hospital based
2. I can find you a job in almost city tomorrow if you are somewhat compentant
3. You will have much more flexibility in work hours and you will make much more
4. You will make a min of 100K working 40 hrs/wk, and I can find you a job tomorrow where you can make $100/hr.
5. You can make independent decisions in many environments.
The list goes on and on. I think NP has one of the best jobs today. May change tomorrow, but today, I can't think of many that you are guaranteed 100k working almost anywhere.

Heck, I would possibly go back to NP school vs med school if I was given the possibility today.

 

[blueskyrntopharm]

This is not even a question. Go NP, there is no reason to pick Pharm over NP unless you REALLY love pharmacy. I can't not think of many reason to go to Pharm vs NP and many reason to choose NP.

1. You can work in clinics vs hospital based
2. I can find you a job in almost city tomorrow if you are somewhat compentant
3. You will have much more flexibility in work hours and you will make much more
4. You will make a min of 100K working 40 hrs/wk, and I can find you a job tomorrow where you can make $100/hr.
5. You can make independent decisions in many environments.
The list goes on and on. I think NP has one of the best jobs today. May change tomorrow, but today, I can't think of many that you are guaranteed 100k working almost anywhere.

Heck, I would possibly go back to NP school vs med school if I was given the possibility today.

Do you mind to share where i would be able to get a job that pays $100/hr. I'd honestly like to know. Thanks.

 

[PAtoPharm]

I am just a pre-pharm (starting pharmacy school in the fall), but I would also probably recommend you to go to NP school. In my state, the online NP programs (including one at a very prestigious, well-known university) costs $15-$18k for the entire program, and the local hospitals in my area have been hiring fewer primary care physicians in favor of hiring more NPs. They even reduced the number of slots in the hospital's family practice MD/DO residency so they could have more slots to train NP students. If I had the opportunity to do it, I would probably go through an NP program instead.

 

[Lnsean]

Do you mind to share where i would be able to get a job that pays $100/hr. I'd honestly like to know. Thanks.

Become CRNA and moonlight for some OT time. My gf makes 75$/hr OT and she's just a regular clinical nurse. As far as making 100$/hr on a FT 40hr/week schedule...i don't know any mid-level provider that make this...maybe if they're into upper management. NPs/PA do have a lot more flexibility and growth in terms of job prospects and specialization though. just my 2 cents.

 

[DesiRX]

Yeah, the stories my fiance tells me will blow your mind. She's a special breed. I could never do it either.

my husband wants to do the same but i am hoping he changes his mind by the time he is done with school.


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[EyeTeeFarmer]

Umm, can I toss CRNA out there?

 

[FCMike11]

Umm, can I toss CRNA out there?

Not going to continue to not be as great a career as it previously had been. When I was in nursing school guys were coming out in my hometown starting at ~190k with full benefits. Five years later a friend just graduated and had to go somewhat rural to start at 140k (which isn't awful, still). I shadowed a CRNA for a bit and couldn't commit to the OR permanently. 75% of the nurses I train in the ICU want CRNA for the money but then majority get bogged down and either do nothing or NP.

Standards for admissions are lowering as well. As my friend was graduating his school was planning to increase seats by 80 students for the following class. I think saturation will continue. Should still be a viable profession but students won't have it the same as their predecessors.
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