Can you work as both? Nurse and...

Nurses General Nursing

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Can you become a nurse and pharmacist AND work both jobs? Different times, of course!

For safety, I'd contact your regulatory boards just to make sure. I know that here, in TX, we aren't allowed to work under a lower license once we've taken a job in the higher one. I'm not sure how that would translate to two unrelated ones but I can see a potential for a conflict of interest there. There's a reason that people don't higher nurses to do CNA work. It's because they don't want the "CNA" overstepping her bounds when she should just be following orders instead of questioning them....etc.

Good luck!

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Let's get something straight, a Pharmacist is not "higher" than a Nurse. I don't care if they do make more, they do not hold a "higher" license. They are two completely different disciplines.

Now, you could be a Nurse and a Pharmacist, if you wanted, while always working within your scope of practice.

With that said I don't see why you would really want to. In my eyes the job of a Pharmacist is very boring. If the money is your focus, there are nurses that make a lot of money, while staying in the field. For example I know of one that has a home health agency that she started a few years ago. At first she was her only employee and now she has two additional RNs, and one office person who also codes for her. I am not 100% of what she takes, but I know she grossed in the millions last year.

However if you are interested in pharmacy and nursing, I say go for it.

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Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.
For safety, I'd contact your regulatory boards just to make sure. I know that here, in TX, we aren't allowed to work under a lower license once we've taken a job in the higher one. I'm not sure how that would translate to two unrelated ones but I can see a potential for a conflict of interest there. There's a reason that people don't higher nurses to do CNA work. It's because they don't want the "CNA" overstepping her bounds when she should just be following orders instead of questioning them....etc.

Good luck!

An RN is not 'lower' than a pharmacist. Different careers.

It makes me sad that I have invested all this time/energy/money into a career ...earned two degrees ...and a nurse says they think nurses have a 'lower license' than a pharmacist

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Entry level to being a pharmacist required a Pharm.D (doctoral degree now). This would be a 4 year, full-time program after completing your bachelor's degree. If you pursued a residency, this would add an additional 1-3 years on top of that. That is an awful lot of study (and tuition) to pay if you did not intend to be a pharmacist full-time.

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Wow, thanks so much for your replies everyone! I will definitely continue to think about Pharmacy school and probably even law (have been interested in a while). I think the possibilities are endless! Dream_Nurse2B, I would like more information about how your friend established a home health agency. But for now, I will try to Google some information. Thanks for the insight. Any more information will be appreciated.

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