Which profession is better: Nurse or Pharmacist?
Asked by Hey:)
Generally speaking Provide reasons please

Best Answer:
The two fields are completely different and require a different set of knowledge and skills. Pharmacy is more chemistry based, and is mostly involved with providing medications and understanding the properties of the medications, their actions and interactions. Pharmacy school is now a 4 year professional doctorate following the 4 year baccalaureate degree, You end up with a degree called a Pharm D. The largest number of pharmacists in the US work in retail pharmacies and their job entails transferring pills from one bottle to another, placing labels on the bottles and making sure patients understand how to use the medications. An RN can be accomplished in approximately 3 years at a community college, or 4 years at a university. They are more biology based, and work more directly with patient care. However, RNs are mostly patient care managers, who access patients needs, and plan their care. They review the prescriptions written by physicians and contact the physicians to correct these if not appropriate for the patient. They are responsible for monitoring the progress of patients, when the physicians are not around, and then making adjustments or providing the information to the physician for new prescriptions. They also are assisted by LPNs and CNAs who provide much of the hands on care, at the direction of the RN. RNs ensure that patients are transported through their hospital stay to appointments and that they have a post hospital plan of care. The average RN makes about $62K per year with a BSN where a pharmacist with a Pharm D makes an average of $92K in the US. However, an RN with an advanced degree similar to a Pharm D will often exceed the salary of a pharmacist, and can write prescriptions. As a note: I worked as a pharmacy tech, before I chose nursing school, and decided that I was not destined for pharmacy.
RN, Ph.D., FNP
Answered by US_DR_JD

nurse you make more money and it is fun
Answered by Kuzzi

honestly... none .... with the way the economy is going... be a stripper they make bank
Answered by footballjock

Pharmacist- More money; less blood.
Answered by Screecheel

im going to be a pharmacist because its better and less blood!
Answered by gamer4lif

nurse..good question
Answered by Karl

Well, I prefer a nurse because it's more hands-on. Also you get the feeling of having accomplished something because you aided in saving someone's life.
Answered by christinee ♥

Depends... Blood makes me feel sick so I'd say pharmacist. Also, being around sick people all day, you'd have a higher risk of getting sick yourself if you are a nurse.
Answered by Chantale

Pharmacist. Pay is decent, and you get the hook ups on those prescription drugs. :)
Answered by KOOLKAT

Nurse is much more beneficial, nurses are in great need in many areas of the states. Also a nurse has the option of becoming a nurse practitioner which can almost double your salary with only a few months of extra schooling
Answered by Chelsea

i work in pharmacy. pharmacists make an average $30 p/hr in our group. more if you are a locum.
Answered by Canary

Nurse. More patient contact, more nudity and more gory stories to tell in restaurants to put other diners off their food ;)
Answered by Duncan Henderson

I prefer nursing, its hands on work with the patient...pharmacist ur always standing behind a counter. I can't stand that long, I have to be active...
Answered by Tina

It can take as little as 2 years to become a nurse at a minimum it takes 6 years to become a pharmacist nurses make about 60,000 a year, while pharmacists make over 100,000 a year it takes more dedication to become a pharmacist, but the benefits are worth it
Answered by alkaline262

hmm i'd say nurse. i think its better cuz you get to really help people hands on, i think its the more social job, idk, it just seems better.. im guessing it pays better too lol
Answered by Nix--KoRaB

Depends on alot of factors: 1. Time-how much time do you have for school, family, studying, friends, relaxation etc. 2. Finances-how much are you willing to invest into either profession? 3. Yourself-which profession inspires you more or interest you? 4. Which profession do you think you will be comfortable working 5-10 years in from now? 5. Money-how much money do you want to make and can you survive on for a while after school? As you can see there's alot of different factors that need to be considered.
Answered by Gabe

In what way? Generally speaking? Money? Caring? Qualifications? It;s what you want, if you want to care for people and help their pain, the become a nurse, If you want to put pills in a box then become a Pharmacist.
Answered by yahwhooon

pharmacists make more but i think that nurses have more useful info? but the way people are with their crazy prescriptions these days. there is one for everything, id do the pharmasict.
Answered by Kelly

Being a nurse is very stressful, and you will need to do hands-on work as opposed to being a pharmacist. Both professions pay fairly well, but being a nurse will consume your life
Answered by Max

well i think a nurse is more biology related while a pharmacist is more chemistry related. Nursing is usually less years in college (but it depends what kind you want to be) same goes with pay, pharmacist is probably more but maybe there's a kind of nursing where you'll get paid more. id do some actual research before actually picking
Answered by superduperdanah

Depends what you like. If you like providing direct care, you probably would lean toward nursing. The good news is that both professions are in high demand and both pay excellent salaries. Pharamacy is a longer study as you need the docorate to get credible work
Answered by Jimmy

Pharmacist is probably the best paid but with long term effects the nursing will be the best as you will get more out of your job by looking after patients and get to train more to qualify further. You will probably grow bored as a pharmacist where as nursing you work with something new everyday
Answered by MARIE

Wrong guys, you make much more money as a pharmacist, the average salary is 94000-95000$ a year. As a nurse you roughly only make $38000 to $45000 a year. So go with pharmacist, it's a better pay, and personally my step mom said it was more fun than being a nurse.
Answered by Nickname?

I'm not in the medical field or anything but...I think that it depends. I mean...pharmacists generally make more money but I think that nursing would feel more rewarding, so...it just depends on what is important to you..
Answered by trustworthy.

how would you define better? as in pays more? or more fun? but peoples idea of fun is different. Plus there is more than one type of nurse and pharmacist, with different amounts of pay
Answered by jmewhit

Both have specialized skill sets that are needed in every corner of every state. In that regard, they both offer great stability. The decision on which is better amounts to a personal decision considering the following: Nursing professions are those of personal care. The maintenance of a patient's well-being requires a nurse to invest themselves into the health of a patient from day-to-day. This is the basis for the claim among nurses that they put the "care" in health care. The personal investment and direct influence over a patient's well-being gives personal reward, but can also be quite stressful. Pharmacists can operate in a number of ways. The public generally pictures drug store clerks and tend to simplify the profession to one of behind-the-counter shopping. This is not the case. The actions of a pharmacist can spot medical errors that doctors may over look. Compatability of medications and proper instruction on their use directly influences a patient's outcome. As well, in a hospital setting, pharmacists are active participants in code situations. They directly oversee and coordinate drug administration to stabilize patients. Because this profession lacks the day-to-day care of a particular patient, the position could be seen as more impersonal. This could avoid some of the stresses associated with the nursing profession, while at the same time missing the personal reward that some nurses achieve through direct care. On a pay scale, pharmacists typically make significantly more money per year. Shifts and settings for employment are diverse for either profession. It is a decision considering personal reward, stress, and pay.
Answered by Nick

I would say it depends on your personality as to which you would find to be the better profession. Nurses and pharmacists both have to be people persons, but slightly different in their approaches. Nurses are more actively involved in their patients' lives and see more ailments and accidents, but pharmacists have to be aware of possible interactions and have good relationships with doctors and patients alike. There are several distinctive branches of nursing, so you can choose within the profession, while there are few real divisions in pharmacology. I doubt that helps much, but I have friends in both professions and I couldn't choose among them.
Answered by jelesais2000

You can earn much money as pharmacists.
Answered by anakyn