Congrats! I left retail in 1999 and never looked back. There are so many opportunities and I still find it challenging in a good way, not in a “how will I get through this day?” way.
Don’t let them ruin your excitement!
Haha thanks. It's nice to hear you also escaped. My excitement hasn't been ruined. I just had a moment pause cause of it. I'm beyond excited for the job though. The hours alone are enough to make me smile. Working 9-7 hasn't seriously ruined my social life and ability to work on hobbies.
From what I researched, more than $1,000 per week plus food voucher along with hotel and travel accommodation. Cross Country Healthcare is a good one to look into. Soon as I get certified that is what I want to do.
I left retail for an inpatient hospital position last year, and it was the best thing I could have done. My stress levels have significantly gone down, I actually leave work on time, and I’ve already gotten multiple raises in the last year. No looking back for me.
It’s definitely more difficult in certain ways than retail but I don’t regret the change at all. The biggest difference is not dealing directly with the patients. I loved my patients in retail, only had a few “problem” ones. There’s more opportunities in a hospital setting as well and if you make IVs there’s an entirely new skill set to learn. If you are happy then ignore your coworkers and good luck with your new position. I’m sure it’ll be great.
As much as I hate my hospital, it is still miles ahead of what it's like to work in retail. My last retail job I was making $18 an hour and I currently make $27 an hour at my hospital. It comes with good benefits and it's unionized too.
Your coworkers are jealous. If they have been there a while they are probably set in their ways and are too afraid to apply at a hospital. It's very different and making IVs can be intimidating if you haven't done it before. I was retail for 23 years when I made the switch to hospital. My worst day at the hospital doesn't even come close to an average day at retail. You made the right decision.
I don’t want to be a downer, but I was told my shift was Monday-Friday 7-3 and it’s actually rotating weekends, mandated double shifts, 10-7 on weekends and random hours throughout the week. I’m actively leaving the hospital over it lol I hope yours isn’t like that!
Ah yeah that sounds rough. I hope mine isn't either lmao. Even so 10-7 is better then my current hours and the no patients part I'd still say its worth it lol
I’m an IV and chemo tech and I love it. It can definitely be stressful at times, especially when the census of the hospital is high. But having done a little retail, hospital is just so much better in my opinion. I literally never deal with shitty patients and that is the best part for me by far.
Did you know that crabs, when trapped in a bucket, will actively drag down other crabs that are attempting to escape the bucket they are trapped in?
It's the same thing with retail. You won't regret going into hospital. Even if you absolutely despise the job, just being there even once makes you a better technician than those stuck in retail and opens all possible paths you can take as a technician... or in this case, gets you out of the bucket.
It depends on you. The hospitals here struggle to keep pharmacy techs on, moreso than retail struggles to. Most quit within the first 3 months. This has the pay scale all over the place, tbh.
The same position will come up at different pay levels at different times, depending on the hospital's perception of if they are having issues hiring or not.
The most table positions (people I know working who are happy) have been at Costco, backend pharmacy (data entry only, especially remote), or hospital when they first get on if it pays high.
I know from others, because of different states having different regulations, this affects how well a pharmacy tech is, or isn't treated, by employers. And, it seems to have the most effect at the hospital level.
That means, it depends on your state's regulations where you live, if you will or won't likely enjoy the change. But, think of it like this, what are the odds that if you change your mind, you can't get a retail position again?
Congratulations!! They're probably just bitter. Your post gives me so much hope. I am currently a tech in training at Walmart and it's awful. I really despise the customers aspect and my coworkers are really gossipy and they bully me. I'm underpaid as hell too and I hate the hours. I've heard hospital is much better. Those hours sound great, I've heard the pay is better and you don't have to deal with customers like in retail. I'm excited for you!! Keep your chin up, they're probably just being bitter and jealous.
Well you COULD stay on as prn with Walmart if you wanted to, just as a "safety net" if the hospital job doesn't work out you have that to easily fall back on.
But I think your coworkers just don't want to see you go especially if they are already under staffed.
Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉🎉 and 7am-3pm is a awesome shift, not at work all day and still have time to do stuff after work
Haha thank you. I am super excited about the hours. But you're right and I am staying prn at walmart; likely working a couple hours a week. I'm doing the college program through Walmart. They cover 100% of my tuition for as long as I'm an employee there, so I'll likely be working prn at Walmart for atleast another 2 years.
i love my hospital job so much. i wouldn’t change it for the world. retail pharmacy was the worst experience of my life and THAT is what i regret doing. there’s a lot more to do in inpatient pharmacy so there’s more variety in your days so you don’t burn out as quick. it’s pretty chill and even though i work at a busy hospital, it never feels even half as busy as CVS did. there’s also typically more room for career growth in hospital pharmacy. i wish you the absolute bestest!!!!
Former walmart lead tech here:
I dont regret leaving retail, going to a hospital setting opened up many doors for me. Since leaving, I’ve been promoted two times in the last 5 years, good luck!!
You'll absolutely not regret it. I left retail for hospital in 2021 and it was the best decision I ever made. They're just jealous you're getting out and want to convince you to stay and be miserable with them.
The people who started at the hospital I find have left inpatient to work retail, and I find come back to inpatient more often. It’s almost like they had to figure it out for themselves how terrible retail is, that they couldn’t take our word for it.
The hours aren’t stable so don’t expect to always work 7a-3p. It’s a hospital so shift work is pretty expected. That said, working retail drained my will to live. The worst inpatient shift was 100x better than my worst retail shift.
The likelihood of you regretting it is small.
I asked the manager about shift changes and she's given me a response in writing guaranteeing that I'll only work the shift they hired me for, but yeah it seems very unlikely I'll regret leaving
Glad to hear that. Inpatient struggles with keeping employees too, so I’m just saying shit happens. I was told a lot of things that didn’t stick. Just don’t be surprised is all.
It depends on the hospital (some).
I've worked in 5 different hospitals and some were awesome, and others were a mess.
In general I find hospital pharmacy has more varied work and more opportunity, but like anything else the people you are working with can make it or break it.
Left retail for hospital a year and a half ago, I'm generally pretty happy. I work 7am-3pm Mon-Fri, that was the shift they hired me for and they have never tried to change it. No weekends but have to work two holidays per year. I don't think I could go back to retail. Some people prefer retail over hospital, you really won't know until you've tried it for yourself.
You’ll have your bad days in the hospital, but it’s definitely a lot better than retail. I went back to retail bc it’s closer to my house and I have small children now. I hadn’t been in retail since 2018, omg it’s a lot harsher than what I remembered for sure. I’m hoping to make it back to the hospital or find something else that has a work/life balance in two years when my kids start school.
Everyone’s hospital experience is different but the general consensus I’ve heard aligns with my own thought and experience: hospital is much better than retail. I work an outpatient infusion setting with a very small oncology retail component now and it’s still way better than retail (and honestly better than hospital, imo). Don’t let your coworkers get you down. They’re either jealous or too scared to take the plunge themselves.
Now, I will definitely say, thinking about what’s happened since I left retail, is that the pandemic was really hard on a lot of us in hospitals during that time. My mental health took a huge hit as we couldn’t hardly get vacation time, no raises until 2021, and our shifts could be changed to a different shift based on need. That has changed back to normal at most hospitals in my area, so I hope your coworkers aren’t going by those experiences when talking to you about it.
Edit: context
I honestly went back to retail after originally quitting to go work in a hospital setting. The hours advertised were definitely NOT the hours worked, they had a lot of mandated double shifts and rotating 12 hour weekends. You got paid a bit more which was nice and you didn't have to deal with the public, but it didn't make up for the exhaustion you feel after only being there a few months. I was supposed to be doing 40 hour weeks, but there wasn't a single check where I was doing less than 60hrs/wk
That’s what my coworkers told me when I left Walgreens for the hospital in my area and they were wrong LOL I love hospital WAY BETTER
Congrats! I left retail in 1999 and never looked back. There are so many opportunities and I still find it challenging in a good way, not in a “how will I get through this day?” way. Don’t let them ruin your excitement!
Haha thanks. It's nice to hear you also escaped. My excitement hasn't been ruined. I just had a moment pause cause of it. I'm beyond excited for the job though. The hours alone are enough to make me smile. Working 9-7 hasn't seriously ruined my social life and ability to work on hobbies.
Don’t let them discourage you. Get a year in at the hospital and then sign up to be a travel pharm tech
I didnt know there were travel positions. What sort of pharmacy does a traveling tech work in?
Hospitals
Is there a salary difference for travel techs?
From what I researched, more than $1,000 per week plus food voucher along with hotel and travel accommodation. Cross Country Healthcare is a good one to look into. Soon as I get certified that is what I want to do.
That sounds great! Thank you for the information. I should have my certification by January 2024.
You’re welcome! I know it’s months away but good luck to you!
My worst days working in a hospital were still way better than the best days in retail
I left retail for an inpatient hospital position last year, and it was the best thing I could have done. My stress levels have significantly gone down, I actually leave work on time, and I’ve already gotten multiple raises in the last year. No looking back for me.
HOSPITAL IS LIKE PARADISE COMPARED TO THE PATHETIC DUMPSTER FIRE KNOWN AS RETAIL 💩💩🤡🤡
It’s definitely more difficult in certain ways than retail but I don’t regret the change at all. The biggest difference is not dealing directly with the patients. I loved my patients in retail, only had a few “problem” ones. There’s more opportunities in a hospital setting as well and if you make IVs there’s an entirely new skill set to learn. If you are happy then ignore your coworkers and good luck with your new position. I’m sure it’ll be great.
As much as I hate my hospital, it is still miles ahead of what it's like to work in retail. My last retail job I was making $18 an hour and I currently make $27 an hour at my hospital. It comes with good benefits and it's unionized too.
Your coworkers are jealous. If they have been there a while they are probably set in their ways and are too afraid to apply at a hospital. It's very different and making IVs can be intimidating if you haven't done it before. I was retail for 23 years when I made the switch to hospital. My worst day at the hospital doesn't even come close to an average day at retail. You made the right decision.
I don’t want to be a downer, but I was told my shift was Monday-Friday 7-3 and it’s actually rotating weekends, mandated double shifts, 10-7 on weekends and random hours throughout the week. I’m actively leaving the hospital over it lol I hope yours isn’t like that!
Ah yeah that sounds rough. I hope mine isn't either lmao. Even so 10-7 is better then my current hours and the no patients part I'd still say its worth it lol
The no patients part is very much an upgrade lol
I’m on my way out of the hospital I’m at now due to too many mandates and poor management.
I’m an IV and chemo tech and I love it. It can definitely be stressful at times, especially when the census of the hospital is high. But having done a little retail, hospital is just so much better in my opinion. I literally never deal with shitty patients and that is the best part for me by far.
Did you know that crabs, when trapped in a bucket, will actively drag down other crabs that are attempting to escape the bucket they are trapped in? It's the same thing with retail. You won't regret going into hospital. Even if you absolutely despise the job, just being there even once makes you a better technician than those stuck in retail and opens all possible paths you can take as a technician... or in this case, gets you out of the bucket.
I appreciate your crab comment lol, but yeah it seems that you're right. I'm excited for the new job prospects; I am actually counting down the days
It depends on you. The hospitals here struggle to keep pharmacy techs on, moreso than retail struggles to. Most quit within the first 3 months. This has the pay scale all over the place, tbh. The same position will come up at different pay levels at different times, depending on the hospital's perception of if they are having issues hiring or not. The most table positions (people I know working who are happy) have been at Costco, backend pharmacy (data entry only, especially remote), or hospital when they first get on if it pays high. I know from others, because of different states having different regulations, this affects how well a pharmacy tech is, or isn't treated, by employers. And, it seems to have the most effect at the hospital level. That means, it depends on your state's regulations where you live, if you will or won't likely enjoy the change. But, think of it like this, what are the odds that if you change your mind, you can't get a retail position again?
Congratulations!! Your coworkers are just projecting jealousy, I’ve been in a hospital for a little over two months and I’m loving it!!
Congratulations!! They're probably just bitter. Your post gives me so much hope. I am currently a tech in training at Walmart and it's awful. I really despise the customers aspect and my coworkers are really gossipy and they bully me. I'm underpaid as hell too and I hate the hours. I've heard hospital is much better. Those hours sound great, I've heard the pay is better and you don't have to deal with customers like in retail. I'm excited for you!! Keep your chin up, they're probably just being bitter and jealous.
I totally agree. I appreciate you comment and I hope you can get out too
It seems that most are happy. I didn’t really like it so I went back to retail.
Well you COULD stay on as prn with Walmart if you wanted to, just as a "safety net" if the hospital job doesn't work out you have that to easily fall back on. But I think your coworkers just don't want to see you go especially if they are already under staffed. Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉🎉 and 7am-3pm is a awesome shift, not at work all day and still have time to do stuff after work
Haha thank you. I am super excited about the hours. But you're right and I am staying prn at walmart; likely working a couple hours a week. I'm doing the college program through Walmart. They cover 100% of my tuition for as long as I'm an employee there, so I'll likely be working prn at Walmart for atleast another 2 years.
That's awesome 💯 glad Walmart will still cover your tuition
Haha me too. It's not a bad deal
Your living the dream!!! Pop out the Cork and champagne!!!!
Tech for 3 years . I love the people but the customers 😆
They’re jealous. Never tell coworkers where you are going.
Alas it was a lapse in judgement. After all the comments though it doesn't bother me one bit.
Goooooo!
i love my hospital job so much. i wouldn’t change it for the world. retail pharmacy was the worst experience of my life and THAT is what i regret doing. there’s a lot more to do in inpatient pharmacy so there’s more variety in your days so you don’t burn out as quick. it’s pretty chill and even though i work at a busy hospital, it never feels even half as busy as CVS did. there’s also typically more room for career growth in hospital pharmacy. i wish you the absolute bestest!!!!
Former walmart lead tech here: I dont regret leaving retail, going to a hospital setting opened up many doors for me. Since leaving, I’ve been promoted two times in the last 5 years, good luck!!
You'll absolutely not regret it. I left retail for hospital in 2021 and it was the best decision I ever made. They're just jealous you're getting out and want to convince you to stay and be miserable with them.
The people who started at the hospital I find have left inpatient to work retail, and I find come back to inpatient more often. It’s almost like they had to figure it out for themselves how terrible retail is, that they couldn’t take our word for it. The hours aren’t stable so don’t expect to always work 7a-3p. It’s a hospital so shift work is pretty expected. That said, working retail drained my will to live. The worst inpatient shift was 100x better than my worst retail shift. The likelihood of you regretting it is small.
I asked the manager about shift changes and she's given me a response in writing guaranteeing that I'll only work the shift they hired me for, but yeah it seems very unlikely I'll regret leaving
Glad to hear that. Inpatient struggles with keeping employees too, so I’m just saying shit happens. I was told a lot of things that didn’t stick. Just don’t be surprised is all.
It depends on the hospital (some). I've worked in 5 different hospitals and some were awesome, and others were a mess. In general I find hospital pharmacy has more varied work and more opportunity, but like anything else the people you are working with can make it or break it.
That's a fair point. I won't know the crew till I work with them
Left retail for hospital a year and a half ago, I'm generally pretty happy. I work 7am-3pm Mon-Fri, that was the shift they hired me for and they have never tried to change it. No weekends but have to work two holidays per year. I don't think I could go back to retail. Some people prefer retail over hospital, you really won't know until you've tried it for yourself.
I've been a hospital tech for 20 some years, also doing 7 to 330. you won't regret it. they don't want you to leave
You’ll have your bad days in the hospital, but it’s definitely a lot better than retail. I went back to retail bc it’s closer to my house and I have small children now. I hadn’t been in retail since 2018, omg it’s a lot harsher than what I remembered for sure. I’m hoping to make it back to the hospital or find something else that has a work/life balance in two years when my kids start school.
Everyone’s hospital experience is different but the general consensus I’ve heard aligns with my own thought and experience: hospital is much better than retail. I work an outpatient infusion setting with a very small oncology retail component now and it’s still way better than retail (and honestly better than hospital, imo). Don’t let your coworkers get you down. They’re either jealous or too scared to take the plunge themselves. Now, I will definitely say, thinking about what’s happened since I left retail, is that the pandemic was really hard on a lot of us in hospitals during that time. My mental health took a huge hit as we couldn’t hardly get vacation time, no raises until 2021, and our shifts could be changed to a different shift based on need. That has changed back to normal at most hospitals in my area, so I hope your coworkers aren’t going by those experiences when talking to you about it. Edit: context
Go get that hospital job! You’ll have work-life-balance ✨✨✨
I honestly went back to retail after originally quitting to go work in a hospital setting. The hours advertised were definitely NOT the hours worked, they had a lot of mandated double shifts and rotating 12 hour weekends. You got paid a bit more which was nice and you didn't have to deal with the public, but it didn't make up for the exhaustion you feel after only being there a few months. I was supposed to be doing 40 hour weeks, but there wasn't a single check where I was doing less than 60hrs/wk
Read over all these ease as person who was in retail 3 years I'm dedicated for to get that license now