I would first like to say I know this post my offend a few people but I have to get this out.
I wrote a post a few weeks ago about my contemplating staying in nursing school. I wondered if all nursing was like this. I've see and experienced some things that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Just in case no one read my previous post, I'm a young nursing student. I'm half way done . I'm at the top of my class. Today, I officially decided that I am not coming back to finish my last year of nursing school. I've never cried this much, obsessed about my health this much( #1 to me) and worried that if I said the wrong thing I'd be kicked out of the program. I'm intelligent and I have a lot to offer. There are other careers out there. I'm so much better then this. I'm sorry if this is coming across the wrong way because I don't mean it. I just think all the good nurses don't deserve this treatment. I know I'm a (ex) nursing student but I've met a few nurses already that made me smile and were so genuine get dumped on and disrespected.
Right now I'm a vibrant 23 year old and I can see a sad future ahead of me if I stay in this. I don't want to walk out a burned out 55 year old. For a long time, it was between nursing and pharmacy school. I've decided to go to pharmacy school . I know no job is perfect but this has to be the worst job. I also don't see where all money in nursing is. The hospital where I do my clinical rotation at, they start at 20 dollars/hr ......give me a break.
I do appreciate all the support and encouragement i've gotten from here. I really do. I really feel in my heart I'm making the right choice. After being miserable for 8 months. I'm saying "yes" to life again and my future.
If nursing just isnt for you and your heart just isnt in it then I'd say you are making the right choice...I dont think someone could last long in nursing if its not what they really wanted.
If you are switching just because you think that pharmacy is going to be easier or that you wont have to deal with alot of crap as a pharmacist then I'm sorry to tell you that you're in for a rude awakening. I have worked in pharmacy (2 different hospitals and 1 retail pharmacy) for a total of 7 years and I agree with the other poster that said that retail pharmacy will ruin you. Dont do it if you value your sanity.
Hospital is also not a walk in the park either...doctors will yell at you for "questioning" their orders, you will never be able to get anything up the the floor fast enough to satisfy the nurses, and unless you get a job as a clinical pharmacist you will likely spend most of your day in the basement of a hospital sitting in front of a computer entering orders. Pharmacies are also usually understaffed and I can tell you that pharmacists are not treated with nearly the respect that they deserve. I'm not trying to discourage you but I'm just telling you that this is reality. I also considered pharmacy and even started my prereqs before I decided to change to nursing. Yes, the money is better than nursing but to me it wasnt worth it! I recommend voluteering in a pharmacy or shadowing a pharmacist before you make this decision. Also note that pharmacy school is even more difficult to get into than medical school so your grades need to be fantastic. We have a technician who makes extremely high grades and he tried for 2 years to get into pharmacy school with no success...he then applied to medical school and got accepted to 3 different schools on his first try.
In any case, good luck with whatever you decide to do!
I think this is a sign of the times. Too many people enter nursing because they "think" they'll like it. You are brave and wise for getting out of a field that you have no passion for. Nursing should be a calling not a job. Good luck to you!!
If nursing just isnt for you and your heart just isnt in it then I'd say you are making the right choice...I dont think someone could last long in nursing if its not what they really wanted.
If you are switching just because you think that pharmacy is going to be easier or that you wont have to deal with alot of crap as a pharmacist then I'm sorry to tell you that you're in for a rude awakening. I have worked in pharmacy (2 different hospitals and 1 retail pharmacy) for a total of 7 years and I agree with the other poster that said that retail pharmacy will ruin you. Dont do it if you value your sanity.
Hospital is also not a walk in the park either...doctors will yell at you for "questioning" their orders, you will never be able to get anything up the the floor fast enough to satisfy the nurses, and unless you get a job as a clinical pharmacist you will likely spend most of your day in the basement of a hospital sitting in front of a computer entering orders. Pharmacies are also usually understaffed and I can tell you that pharmacists are not treated with nearly the respect that they deserve. I'm not trying to discourage you but I'm just telling you that this is reality. I also considered pharmacy and even started my prereqs before I decided to change to nursing. Yes, the money is better than nursing but to me it wasnt worth it! I recommend voluteering in a pharmacy or shadowing a pharmacist before you make this decision. Also note that pharmacy school is even more difficult to get into than medical school so your grades need to be fantastic. We have a technician who makes extremely high grades and he tried for 2 years to get into pharmacy school with no success...he then applied to medical school and got accepted to 3 different schools on his first try.
In any case, good luck with whatever you decide to do!
Yeah, pharmacy has its down sides just like any other job/career. It offers good pay and reasonable hours. So it is a good career choice for people. The down side is that because there are jobs in pharmacy, people are now going into pharmacy and taking up the jobs. This will eventually push the starting salaries down to around the $75 or so range........far cry from the current $50/hr starting salary.
If nursing just isnt for you and your heart just isnt in it then I'd say you are making the right choice...I dont think someone could last long in nursing if its not what they really wanted.
If you are switching just because you think that pharmacy is going to be easier or that you wont have to deal with alot of crap as a pharmacist then I'm sorry to tell you that you're in for a rude awakening. I have worked in pharmacy (2 different hospitals and 1 retail pharmacy) for a total of 7 years and I agree with the other poster that said that retail pharmacy will ruin you. Dont do it if you value your sanity.
Hospital is also not a walk in the park either...doctors will yell at you for "questioning" their orders, you will never be able to get anything up the the floor fast enough to satisfy the nurses, and unless you get a job as a clinical pharmacist you will likely spend most of your day in the basement of a hospital sitting in front of a computer entering orders. Pharmacies are also usually understaffed and I can tell you that pharmacists are not treated with nearly the respect that they deserve. I'm not trying to discourage you but I'm just telling you that this is reality. I also considered pharmacy and even started my prereqs before I decided to change to nursing. Yes, the money is better than nursing but to me it wasnt worth it! I recommend voluteering in a pharmacy or shadowing a pharmacist before you make this decision. Also note that pharmacy school is even more difficult to get into than medical school so your grades need to be fantastic. We have a technician who makes extremely high grades and he tried for 2 years to get into pharmacy school with no success...he then applied to medical school and got accepted to 3 different schools on his first try.
In any case, good luck with whatever you decide to do!
You sound very angry. To start, my uncle is a pharmacist. I've already shadowed him and he has told me the ups and downs of pharmacy. Hes actually helping me now through the entire process which I really appreciate. Like I said in a previous post, no job is perfect but I don't want to wake up every morning beat down emotionally, worrying if my health is in danger ,getting yelled at by doctors,patients, family members, being exposed to someones bodily fluids on a daily basis and all one can wish for is thank you. No thanks. Maybe thats for you but its not for me. And yes, any job is easier than that. When something goes wrong everything is dumped on the nurse. I've never seen anything like it. A friend of mine got accepted into pharmacy school with grades as good as mine and got in on the first try. She's very happy. My uncle is also very happy. I have four pharmacy schools on my list and I exceed all of their requirements. I'm excellent at my sciences. I can't speak from your experiences of trying to get into pharmacy school and not getting in as well as your friend but all I can tell you is your experiences aren't mine.
Like I said previously, some people don't mind the conditions that many nurses go through and helping others in these conditions. I just rather help others in the way I will enjoy as well as helping myself.
I have been a pharmacy technician for 14 years. It sucks. The job of a pharmacist is much more attractive than that of a tech. At my job, the pharmacists are extremely spoiled and get upset if they have to count out drugs. So looking at pharmacy from the technician's point of view is much different than that of a pharmacist.
I have a BS in another field and had contemplated applying to pharmacy school after graduation. All of the pharmacists I worked with tried to dissuade me. I wound up hating pharmacology, too microscopic and I don't care about cytochrome p450, so decided to not apply. I was looking at it from the money aspect. Who wouldn't like to make $100,000/year right out of school?
Fast forward 10 years later and I'm about to complete level 3 of NS and I absolutely love it. I found out that NICU is my passion. I say good for you to have figured out that nursing wasn't for you BEFORE getting out of school. Life is too short to do something that makes you miserable. I wish you the best of luck in your pharmacy career.
So looking at pharmacy from the technician's point of view is much different than that of a pharmacist. 
CRBRNCPHT
13 Posts
If nursing just isnt for you and your heart just isnt in it then I'd say you are making the right choice...I dont think someone could last long in nursing if its not what they really wanted.
If you are switching just because you think that pharmacy is going to be easier or that you wont have to deal with alot of crap as a pharmacist then I'm sorry to tell you that you're in for a rude awakening. I have worked in pharmacy (2 different hospitals and 1 retail pharmacy) for a total of 7 years and I agree with the other poster that said that retail pharmacy will ruin you. Dont do it if you value your sanity.
Hospital is also not a walk in the park either...doctors will yell at you for "questioning" their orders, you will never be able to get anything up the the floor fast enough to satisfy the nurses, and unless you get a job as a clinical pharmacist you will likely spend most of your day in the basement of a hospital sitting in front of a computer entering orders. Pharmacies are also usually understaffed and I can tell you that pharmacists are not treated with nearly the respect that they deserve. I'm not trying to discourage you but I'm just telling you that this is reality. I also considered pharmacy and even started my prereqs before I decided to change to nursing. Yes, the money is better than nursing but to me it wasnt worth it! I recommend voluteering in a pharmacy or shadowing a pharmacist before you make this decision. Also note that pharmacy school is even more difficult to get into than medical school so your grades need to be fantastic. We have a technician who makes extremely high grades and he tried for 2 years to get into pharmacy school with no success...he then applied to medical school and got accepted to 3 different schools on his first try.
In any case, good luck with whatever you decide to do!