nursing vs pharmacy 2024-2025

nursing vs pharmacy 2024-2025

Are you unsure what pharmacy and nursing are?

Despite the fact that nursing and pharmacy are related professions, there are numerous differences between them. The duties, responsibilities, educational requirements, skills, salaries, and experiences of a pharmacist and a nurse differ.

Now, the most important factors in deciding whether to become a nurse or a pharmacist are your interests and career goals. Pharmacists, on the one hand, focus on drug knowledge; nurses, on the other, administer drugs.

Whether you want to become a nurse practitioner (NP) or a registered nurse (RN), the educational requirements for nursing school will be based on your choice. When it comes to the RN profession, the majority of the requirements consist of formal education obtained through a diploma, associate, or bachelor’s degree program. Candidates will be better prepared for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLE-RN) as a result of this.

Additionally, you can become a Nurse Practitioner (NP). Compared to becoming an RN, the process for becoming a NP is quite lengthy. To become an NP, you must first be an RN. Nurse practitioners earn more money than registered nurses do. The procedure for becoming a NP is as follows:

• A bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree is required first. The bachelor’s degree will be completed in approximately four years and will include nursing, general education, and elective courses.
  Obtaining a registered nurse’s license is the process’s second step. As previously stated, the applicant must first be an RN before becoming an NP.
  As a registered nurse, you need to get specializations now. Mental health, pediatrics, gerontology, neonatology, emergency care, and family care are all possible specialties.
  Getting into an accredited doctor of nursing practice (DNP) or master of science in nursing (MSN) program is the next step in the process.
  You must complete the program to earn an MSN or DNP degree once you are accepted.
  Obtaining certification from a specialty nursing board is now required. Your designation as an NP should be included in the certification. Emergency care, mental health, pediatrics, or gerontology could be the specialization. Additionally, certification may be granted by NCC, ANCC, AANPCB, AACN, PNCB, AANP, or AANP.
  You can now become a nurse practitioner (NP) with licensure.

Pharmacy School

You must meet all educational and testing requirements to become a licensed pharmacist. The steps to becoming a pharmacist are as follows:

• Choosing your degree path is the first step. Numerous schools of pharmacy offer dual degree programs. This means that you can earn a bachelor’s degree in addition to your Doctor of Pharmacy degree. A minimum of two years of undergraduate study and four years of professional pharmacy study are required for the Doctor of Pharmacy program.
  For admission to pharmacy school, you will need to take the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT). Almost every pharmacy school requires this. The PCAT is a multiple-choice question exam that covers critical reading, quantitative reasoning, and biological processes.
  You need to finish your education now that you have taken the PCAT and chosen your path to a pharmacy degree. The following topics will be covered in the Doctor of Pharmacy: Pathology, biostatistics, biochemistry, pharmacology, healthcare management, pharmacological measurements, chemotherapy, and biochemistry
  After completing your pharmacy education, you must now take licensing examinations. To become a registered pharmacist, you must pass licensing examinations. You must pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) and a state-specific jurisprudence exam or the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE).
  You must now submit an application for the license after completing your education and exams. You will become a registered pharmacist once you apply for and receive the license.

The steps required to become a licensed pharmacist are listed below. When compared to nursing, becoming a pharmacist requires more time and money.

Nurse Practitioner (NP) vs Pharmacist

• When we compare the salaries of the Registered Nurse (RN), Nurse Practitioner (NP), and Pharmacist, the RN earns the least, while the NP earns the most. Pharmacists earn the most. Naturally, this can vary a little from region to specialty.
• The NP has significantly more authority and responsibilities than the RN. You must first be an RN in order to become a NP. Unlike RNs, NPs can prescribe medications to patients because they have more experience and knowledge.
• Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and pharmacists both work in the same field; However, the educational requirements, salary structure, experiences, skills, and knowledge of the two are distinct.
• You must complete the MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) or DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) programs in order to become an NP. Specialization as a registered nurse is required in order to become an NP. Additionally, you must pass the PCAT exam, select a program of study, gain admission to the PharmD school, and complete it in order to become a pharmacist. After that, you need to apply for the license, take exams for licensure, and so on. Your career can benefit from specialization and participation in extracurricular activities.

Click here for South African Nursing Colleges and Schools Application 2023-2024

RELATED LINKS

Nursing Online Application links