15+ Best Side Hustles for Nurses

Are you working in the nursing industry but hungry for something more? You’re not alone. Millions of nurses are discovering the value of side gigs. They understand that it isn’t enough to depend on a primary job. Today, you must go the extra mile to live the life you want. 

The Case for Nurses to Explore Side Hustles

People are all chasing something more, and nurses are no different. Maybe you’re supporting a few family members or aiming to retire early. A side hustle is a tool to help you reach your goals. In this section, we’ll delve into some popular reasons nurses seek an extra paycheck. 

• More Income: Money talks, and a side gig simply brings in more of it. Most nurses would agree that an additional income is welcome. They can use it to pay off student loans, save for a property purchase, land a dream vacation, or retire early. 
• Improved Skills: When you start doing something on the side, you’ll gain not just money but new skill sets. Your knowledge will help you be a better nursing professional. In addition, you may discover a new career path or specialization.
• Job Security: It isn’t enough to just depend on your existing income stream. What if it disappears or you can’t work your usual day job for specific reasons? Manage that risk with a few sources that will give you a safety net in an unexpected event. 
• Better Networking Opportunities: In life, the more people you know, the better your chances of climbing up the ladder. When you start a side hustle, it’ll broaden your horizon to new connections. Who knows? These may lead to interesting career opportunities in the future!
• Work-Life Balance: With multiple income streams, you can decide what pays more for your time. That’s a powerful thing because you then get to choose where to focus your effort. Flexibility is the main idea here. The opportunity to engage with family, friends, hobbies, and other interests will make you a happier person.  

15+ Best Side Hustles for Nurses

As a nurse, there are so many things you can do to earn money on the side. Your knowledge and experience will benefit countless parties, so take advantage of them! Here are some popular options.

#1) Answer Medical Surveys  

Leverage your medical knowledge and answer healthcare-related surveys for money. Many companies will pay for your opinions. You can find such opportunities on websites such as Pawns.app. While general surveys may pay $1-$3 each, you may earn more with medical questionnaires. You may answer questions related to medical devices, diagnostic tests, and the latest healthcare tech. 

The beautiful thing about surveys is that you can complete a few during your break or commute. You may as well make full use of your time, right? At the same time, you’re helping companies develop better products and services for the medical sector. 

To start, sign up with a few survey platforms; the more, the better. You’ll probably have to complete a short profile to receive targeted surveys. After that, be religious at checking your inbox for notifications. 

#2) Provide Health Coaching Services

Today’s modern society has to deal with high stress levels. They have to cope with life’s demands, resulting in bad lifestyle habits. Here’s where a health coach brings many benefits. 

As a health coach, you’ll give people the confidence, knowledge, and skills to achieve their health goals. You may help them to form a better approach to their diet plans and plan their exercise routines. Aside from that, you’ll get close and personal by examining their relationships, spirituality, and leisure activities. You’ll give powerful advice that will help people achieve more in their lives.

#3) Transcribe Medical Recordings

The healthcare industry is following the trend of utilizing transcriptions to better their daily operations. As a result, nursing professionals are enjoying new earning opportunities. They can transcribe medical recordings, producing text documents that will serve well for record-keeping purposes. 

A transcriber has to have excellent listening skills as they will convert audio recordings from doctors and other healthcare specialists into written documents. Files can be as short as a few minutes, so you can complete a few transcriptions in the evening after work or during your break time. 

Starting this side gig is simple. You have to register for an account on a transcribing platform. GoTranscript is an excellent place to begin your venture. You’ll have to complete and pass a quick test. After that, take your pick from hundreds of available jobs!

#4) Tutor Nursing Students

Aside from being a good nurse, you may boast excellent teaching skills. Take advantage of your knowledge and teach nursing students to be great at their future careers. They need to understand their roles, responsibilities, and procedures. 

A nurse tutor could generate between $10 and $30 per hour. The amount depends on the subject tutored and your learner base. With this side hustle comes flexibility, as you can set your own hours and working location. 

To tutor students, you must demonstrate an ability to explain complex ideas. Additionally, you should be patient and know how to guide students in understanding their study materials. 

#5) Write for Healthcare Publications

Do you have a way with words? If so, how about working as a freelance writer? Many healthcare-related companies seek talented writers to build content for their websites and marketing materials. 

This gig pays well and comes with a flexible schedule. If you can complete a 1,000-word article in two hours and do that after your regular day job, that may net you a cool $100. As you grow your skills and client base, you can set a higher per-word rate.  

Advertise your skills on social media or your own website. Make sure you tell clients how long you’ve been in the nursing industry and list your achievements, no matter how big!

#6) Provide Telehealth Services

Everyone should have access to healthcare, even if they live in remote locations or find it difficult to leave their homes. As a telehealth nurse, you’ll use telephones or video conferencing platforms to assess patients’ needs and help them with their illnesses. Technology is a wonderful thing. Today, we have apps and digital health tools easily accessible through mobile devices. 

All registered nurses can provide telehealth care. If you follow this route, you’ll provide services to people living in remote areas, help lower medical costs, and reduce waiting time for care. Telehealth nurses enjoy a flexible work schedule. They can easily find gigs through online platforms or medical facilities that want to expand their care offerings. 

#7) Be a Camp Nurse

If you love children, this side gig is perfect for you. You’ll serve kids and teens in a camp environment for days or weeks at a time. Nurses are critical at camps, especially if they’re in the wilderness and located far from medical facilities. 

Camp nurses have to deal with injuries and illnesses that crop up among attendees and trainers. Therefore, if you have experience in emergency care, pediatrics, or trauma, you’ll shine in a camp nursing job. However, you must be familiar with working solo. To succeed as a camp nurse, make sure your managerial skills are on point. Usually, this role implies overseeing a whole health office independently. 

#8) Start a Lactation Consulting Service

If you are a staunch believer in breastfeeding, you can help mothers feed their babies naturally. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come as second nature to many new moms. For that reason, lactation consultants are highly valuable.

You can find opportunities through physicians, hospitals, or lactation centers. Ensure you have the right qualifications, experience, and training to succeed in the field. Depending on their location, lactation specialists can earn $100-$200 per session.

If you currently work as a nurse in a maternity ward, you probably are familiar with tips and tricks to help breastfeeding mothers. Those will help you succeed in this side hustle. For better success, make connections in the healthcare community and get client referrals from them.

#9) Be a Nurse Practitioner On Demand (NPOD)

The demand for nurse practitioners outpaces all other occupations. It shines a light on the dire need for nurses and physicians. The authority of nurse practitioners is also growing, allowing them to play primary care roles similar to physicians. 

As an NPOD, you’ll provide immediate or acute services while increasing healthcare access among underserved communities. You’ll help patients make better lifestyle choices to reduce their risk of significant health problems and costs. 

The beauty of working as an NPOD is its flexibility. You can work remotely or in person during your off hours. Hourly rates are around $60, and you’ll easily find opportunities as demand is high. 

#10) Work as an Independent Contractor for Healthcare Facilities

As a registered nurse, you have the freedom to be an independent contractor at other hospitals or healthcare facilities. You’ll operate on a contractual basis to provide medical assistance and fill in the gap of department shortages. 

In short, you’ll perform the same duties as regularly employed nurses. That implies providing medical advice, monitoring vital signs, updating patient records, and administering medications. You’ll work with doctors and help them deliver the best care possible.

To find gigs, register for accounts on platforms such as ShiftMed, CareRev, and ESHYFT. They will notify you of openings in your area. If an available shift fits your criteria and free hours, take it on and earn.

#11) Get Hired as a Clinical Trial Nurse

Clinical research uses science to determine better ways to detect, diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases. Each project requires nurses to outline trial requirements, expand on SOPs, evaluate the most efficient research methods, and assist the researchers with live procedures. Research nurses also recruit, educate, and monitor the trial participants’ progress. They administer treatments and report directly to the lead physician.

As such, clinical trial nurses are critical to maintaining the quality and integrity of such studies. They ensure that trials comply with laws on the local, state, federal, and international levels. Suffice it to say the validity of the research depends highly on nurses. To become a clinical research nurse, get in touch with universities and hospitals in the region.

#12) Participate in Focus Groups

As a nurse, your knowledge and opinions are valuable among medical companies. You’ll find that many will pay for you to participate in focus group discussions. You may impart your understanding of specific medical devices or processes to help companies produce better products. 

Focus groups that cover generic topics may pay around $150 per hour. However, niche subject matters, such as medicine, may net you up to $450 an hour. While you won’t get picked for every study you apply for, you can better your chances by reaching out to as many research firms as possible.

#13) Start a Blog

Many nurses have started blogs as side hustles and made it big. They leverage their skills and write on topics they know and love. You can do that, too. Sharing the knowledge gained from nursing is powerful and can help others be better caregivers and lead healthier lives.

On that note, your blog doesn’t have to focus on healthcare. If you have an interest in cooking, how about centering it around healthy recipes? Patients trying to manage their medical conditions will find your posts extremely useful as they plan their meals.

Starting a blog is easy, and this side gig is manageable as a whole. You’ll only create content during your free time and earn through ads, brand partnerships, and paid content. 

#14) Provide Maternal Care Services

Many mothers do not have the necessary support to care for a newborn during the early days. And for first-time moms, the whole experience can be daunting. If you are a nurse working in a maternity ward, you are familiar with the challenges new moms face. 

As a maternal care specialist, you’ll help mothers deal with all aspects of their new role. You’ll teach them practical nursing and comforting methods in addition to treating their health. After delivery, moms go through various changes in their bodies. A maternal care nurse will educate them to alleviate unnecessary fears. 

#15) Create and Sell Online Courses

As we’ve reiterated time and time again in this article, nurses boast incredible knowledge. How about sharing that in the form of online courses? You can cover topics related to caring for patients with specific illnesses or how to administer medication.

Caregivers will find your knowledge useful as they help people under their care. You’ll assist people who have to care for their elderly parents or sick children. At the same time, you’ll give them comfort and confidence to carry on their duties. To start, plan a syllabus and create a course. After that, sell it on platforms such as Udemy.

#16) Be a CPR Instructor

As a nurse, you most definitely have had training in CPR. CPR is a valuable life-saving tool and comes in handy during emergencies. As such, many schools and companies pay trainers to conduct short educational sessions for students and employees. 

As an instructor, you’ll give demonstrations on CPR techniques and get students to try them out. You’ll also create training materials and workbooks and evaluate student performances. Your client base may cover childcare facilities, gyms, sports complexes, elderly care homes, camps, and construction sites. 

Part-time CPR instructors work as often as they want and can. This side gig is flexible and pays as much as $90 per hour. 

#17) Work as a Cosmetic Injector

Do you know how to administer cosmetic fillers? If that’s the case, take advantage of the growing number of medical aesthetic centers in urban areas. Many professional nurses love the flexibility of this side hustle. They work after hours and on their off days and supplement their income by making people look younger and more attractive. 

Take things a step further by hosting spa parties. To do this, make the necessary investment in materials and medication. If you market your services well, you’ll have a steady flow of clientele.

Leveraging Your Nursing Experience for a Side Hustle

One thing you need to understand is that your nursing experience is valuable. You’re a great communicator and team member. You exude the right attitude and confidence while being an excellent critical thinker and problem solver. Other than that, you display empathy while resolving conflicts in the workplace. These are all critical skills that will be useful in your side gig. To start your journey, follow these tips: 

• Determine Your Service Offering: By now, you should have a rough idea of what type of service you want to provide. Perhaps you’re good with words and want to explore freelance writing related to healthcare topics. You may have an interest in insurance and want to consult them on claims. Look at your skills and interests. 
• Explore Market Trends: At this stage, you probably have a few ideas in mind. Figure out the current market. Is there a demand for your area of expertise? A great resource you should leverage is the Bureau of Labor Statistics; it’ll provide job outlooks and growth in healthcare and other fields.
• Develop a Business Plan: Determine your target audience, create marketing strategies, and analyze financial projections. The information gleaned will help you identify who will benefit the most from your services, promote your business, and estimate where your money will go.
• Research Legal Requirements and Licensing: Legal compliance is crucial, notably in healthcare. Therefore, you must obtain all necessary licenses or certifications before operating your side gig. Perhaps you’ll need a business license or register as an independent contractor. 
• Build a Client Base: When you start out, finding clients can be daunting. However, keep persisting with the right strategies, and you’ll have a loyal client list before you know it. You can network by attending local healthcare events, developing an online presence, or using word-of-mouth referrals. 
• Set Your Rates: You must find an equilibrium between reasonable rates and adequate remuneration for your time and energy. Factors to consider are time investment, the complexity of the project, and additional costs associated with providing services. At the same time, you should research what competitors charge. 
• Manage Your Time: Having a full-time job and a side hustle can be challenging. In this regard, time management is crucial for success in both arenas. Learn how to create a schedule and prioritize tasks. It would help to break down large tasks into smaller pieces, eliminate distractions, and delegate whenever possible. 
• Stay Motivated: Side gigs come with many positives. However, they can be hard to manage. How do you remain excited to go to work each day and build your side business? Create tangible goals and milestones to drive you, stay organized with tools like Evernote, and derive inspiration from others. That way, you’ll be able to maintain a healthy work-life balance.  

Success Cases: Nurses Who Thrived in Their Side Hustles

Whenever you need extra motivation, read these success stories. Keep them in mind as you face the many challenges of operating a side gig.  

• Helena Faustin: This 35-year-old neonatal intensive care unit nurse doubled her income by operating a food blog called That Nurse Can Cook. She invested an initial amount of $700 on groceries, ring lights, and other production equipment. Today, she earns from YouTube ads, brand partnerships, and e-book sales.
• Stephanee Beggs: When the pandemic hit, Stephanee was studying for a nursing exam. She recorded herself and posted a teaching video on social media. Long story short, that clip went viral and launched an educational side gig. Today, this Californian has earned more than $2 million from selling study materials and merchandise. 

Wrapping Up

In this post, we’ve covered five important reasons for you to start a side gig and over 15 possible business ventures to capitalize on your knowledge and interest. Aside from that, we’ve also expanded on the best tips for success and some inspiring stories of nurses achieving their dreams. 

You, too, can live off diverse income streams. It’s a smart thing to do in this day and age. So don’t put things off any longer. Run through the list above and see what suits you best.