Pharmacists admitted to BSN Program

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I am a pharmacist cant get job and want to be a nurse. Any input?

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Hi, I don't want to relocate as my family is settled here in Michigan.

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12 hours ago, CYNTO Y said:

Hi, I don't want to relocate as my family is settled here in Michigan.

Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to. That's called maturity. Families relocate all the time to get ahead. Once you've gotten some pharmacy experience- you can come back. It's some very black-and-white thinking you've got going on there.

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From PharmD to BSN Program. OK, my orientation was yesterday --LOL.. still doing soul searching if this move is a right decision. please inputs are welcomed.

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On 4/11/2020 at 7:15 AM, Mergirlc said:

I agree w/ anewmanx. I just popped in a random city and found a whole bunch of ads for pharmacists.

Is it that you don't like being a pharmacist and don't want to work in that field? Or can you not get a job due to something in your background (prior arrest, etc..)?

The pharmacy job market is horrible-almost everybody in the pharmacy field is aware of this. I had issues starting from when I was a student in a 6 year pharmacy program. I applied to 400+ jobs all over the country just to see where it gets me and have been working a non-clinical position for a few years as a result. I am sad I don't get to use my skills on a daily basis. In retrospect, I do wish I became a nurse. I was never too interested in retail and always wanted to do a clinical allied health job-I figured working in hospital/clinical pharmacy was what I wanted, but the clinical jobs are so far and few in between. I applied to tons of retail jobs anyway and still nothing. Even if there are job openings on websites, you apply and never hear back. You network on LinkedIn, with your professors and nothing comes out of it. Unfortunately, the degree is not yet so versatile that there are "different" paths you can choose unless you carve your own niche in a non-practicing field, where you get asked everyday why you're doing this job instead of a pharmacist job (which people don't realize is not really a rosy field like it once may have once had the reputation of being). 

I don't think I have it in me for now to go back to school, but if I could go back in time to undergraduate me, I would have chosen nursing over pharmacy school. But can't change the past- I'm trying to find more ways to sharpen my skills so I can find a job where my pharmacy skills may be useful. I know there are a few jobs that ask for either an RN or PharmD (some informatics, immunizing, other positions), so I think there is a small area of overlap between pharmacists and nurses but at the end of the day, when I tried to look for positions, I've seen so much more flexibility with the nursing degree. Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, I've seen state laws have a lot more leeway for out of state nurses to practice but not pharmacists. 

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4 minutes ago, lost_ph90 said:

The pharmacy job market is horrible-almost everybody in the pharmacy field is aware of this. I had issues starting from when I was a student in a 6 year pharmacy program. I applied to 400+ jobs all over the country just to see where it gets me and have been working a non-clinical position for a few years as a result. I am sad I don't get to use my skills on a daily basis. In retrospect, I do wish I became a nurse. I was never too interested in retail and always wanted to do a clinical allied health job-I figured working in hospital/clinical pharmacy was what I wanted, but the clinical jobs are so far and few in between. I applied to tons of retail jobs anyway and still nothing. Even if there are job openings on websites, you apply and never hear back. You network on LinkedIn, with your professors and nothing comes out of it. Unfortunately, the degree is not yet so versatile that there are "different" paths you can choose unless you carve your own niche in a non-practicing field, where you get asked everyday why you're doing this job instead of a pharmacist job (which people don't realize is not really a rosy field like it once may have once had the reputation of being). 

I don't think I have it in me for now to go back to school, but if I could go back in time to undergraduate me, I would have chosen nursing over pharmacy school. But can't change the past- I'm trying to find more ways to sharpen my skills so I can find a job where my pharmacy skills may be useful. I know there are a few jobs that ask for either an RN or PharmD (some informatics, immunizing, other positions), so I think there is a small area of overlap between pharmacists and nurses but at the end of the day, when I tried to look for positions, I've seen so much more flexibility with the nursing degree. Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, I've seen state laws have a lot more leeway for out of state nurses to practice but not pharmacists. 

Also the relocation part is tricky because-let's say you're on Indeed and you apply to 10 jobs a day: one in Washington State, two in California, two in New York, one in Vermont, one in New Hampshire, two in Massachusetts, one in Alaska-to be a pharmacist, you must have a license with a specific state because all state laws are different. I'm taking an exam for a second license now, who knows how many other states in the future I might consider a license in. But it would be a lot of money to get licensed in like 10 states LOL-every year or a few or so, you have to pay a fee to renew those license and all that. Some places may be flexible and say yes we can hire you and you can get licensed in however many days upon starting, but with the glut, there's also a possibility an already licensed pharmacist will get hired before you. It's very random and no matter how strategic you are, it seems not uncommon to hear of pharmacists without jobs for years. I feel ashamed it happened to me but when I go online, I can empathize with pharmacists who are dealing with the same issues ? 

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I am on a 20 weeks covid travel pharmacist contract with a starting agency.  Do Google search for this if you are still on the market looking for job. Don't give up, I didn't just keep applying in every position of interest of which state you have license and of course while waiting for the job think of other things you can do to make you not idle. For me was the idea of a second career in nursing as BSN. But pause after first semester because I got a temp covid vacation pharmacist job. I believe God will perfect everything for you and I. We just have to keep believing and trying..having the faith that God will take care of us.

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lost ph - I've just posted on another VERY similar Pharm-to-BSN post. I suggested that the OP consider using a  professional recruitment/head hunter agency. (Was that you?)

That might help.

I don't believe the switch down will be beneficial in these crazy times.

Good luck to you.

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16 hours ago, CYNTO Y said:

I am on a 20 weeks covid travel pharmacist contract with a starting agency.  Do Google search for this if you are still on the market looking for job. Don't give up, I didn't just keep applying in every position of interest of which state you have license and of course while waiting for the job think of other things you can do to make you not idle. For me was the idea of a second career in nursing as BSN. But pause after first semester because I got a temp covid vacation pharmacist job. I believe God will perfect everything for you and I. We just have to keep believing and trying..having the faith that God will take care of us.

Thank you for the prayers and well wishes and congrats! That is amazing news, I am happy for you. I am applying for jobs in my state while studying for an exam for the state my current job is in. Working in a non-practicing job for now. 

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33 minutes ago, amoLucia said:

lost ph - I've just posted on another VERY similar Pharm-to-BSN post. I suggested that the OP consider using a  professional recruitment/head hunter agency. (Was that you?)

That might help.

I don't believe the switch down will be beneficial in these crazy times.

Good luck to you.

Hi yes, that was me! I posted this at the same time I posted that other post. I have been looking for professional recruitment. Thank you as well for the suggestion.

I do see where you are coming from, while some aspects of nursing sound interesting and I was toying with the idea, I am going to focus on just looking for pharmacy jobs and see where to go from there. 

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On 3/27/2021 at 8:25 PM, amoLucia said:

lost ph - I've just posted on another VERY similar Pharm-to-BSN post. I suggested that the OP consider using a  professional recruitment/head hunter agency. (Was that you?)

That might help.

I don't believe the switch down will be beneficial in these crazy times.

Good luck to you.

Thanks for your response. Well appreciated. 

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It is well 

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