As a nurse, you’re well-acquainted with the demanding yet rewarding healthcare field. But did you know there are ways to supplement your income as a nurse without sacrificing your precious time off?
Enter side hustles—those extra jobs or businesses that nurses pursue alongside their primary nursing work to earn extra cash.
These side gigs offer you a chance to explore extra income opportunities, pursue your interests, or even start your own businesses while maintaining your primary nursing job and personal life.
Why Side Hustles Matter for Nurses
Let’s be honest. Despite your crucial role in healthcare, financial pressures can build up. Bills, student loans, and unexpected expenses can add stress to your already busy schedule. Even with a median salary of over $80,000 a year, you might find yourself wondering if your income matches your needs.
That’s why many nurses are turning to side hustles to achieve their financial goals, gain new skills, and find fulfillment in their careers.
As a nurse, you possess a unique set of skills and knowledge that can be applied to a wide range of side hustles, from healthcare-related services to entrepreneurial ventures.
Curious about these lucrative part-time jobs for nurses? Keep reading…
We’ve compiled a list of 19 easy and flexible side hustle ideas for nurses who want to earn extra income.
Whether you’re a nurse practitioner, a registered nurse, or an aspiring nurse entrepreneur, these side jobs can help you:
- Generate passive income streams
- Earn extra money
- Learn new skills
- Possibly work from home in your pajamas (because who wouldn’t love that?)
👉🏽 [PDF] DOWNLOAD FREE 101 Passive Income Ideas To Help You Make Money 🤑 👈🏽
The Best Side Hustles for Nurses 👩⚕️
Here’s a list of side hustles for nurses, considering factors such as flexibility, earning potential, and alignment with nursing expertise:
- Telehealth Nurse
- Freelance Health Writing and Healthcare Blogging
- Freelance Nurse Consulting
- Adjunct Nursing Instructor
- First Aid Course Instructor
- Medical Transcription Services
- Create and Sell Nursing Online Courses
- Health & Wellness Coaching
- Nurse Entrepreneurship
Let’s explore them in detail.
Telehealth Nursing 👩⚕️💻
Telehealth nursing has emerged as a popular side hustle for nurses looking to work from home and contribute to the burgeoning sector of remote healthcare.
As a telehealth nurse, you have the opportunity to dispense medical advice, triage patients, and offer health education through various communication mediums, including phone calls, video conferencing, or secure messaging platforms.
This side hustle offers flexible scheduling, allowing nurses to work evenings, days off, or adjust their hours to complement their primary nursing responsibilities.
Telehealth nursing requires strong communication skills, the ability to work independently, and a commitment to providing high-quality care while adhering to telehealth best practices and patient privacy regulations.
As per the American Hospital Association, 76 percent of U.S. hospitals engage with patients through video and other technological means. Given the escalating demand for remote healthcare services, telehealth nursing can prove to be a fulfilling and profitable venture for nurses aiming to broaden their skill set and cater to a larger patient demographic.
Telehealth nurses make an average hourly pay of $34.91 in 2024 according to PayScale
How to Start Telehealth Nursing (requirements may vary):
- Hold three to five years of RN experience, an unrestricted RN license (possibly a compact multi-state license), and a clean background check.
- Possess strong computer skills and a high-speed internet connection.
- Apply for roles on popular nurse job platforms like Indeed, Flexjobs, and Nurse.com.
Freelance Medical Writing & Healthcare Blogging ✍️📝
Nurses with strong communication skills and a passion for writing can start their nursing blog about the area they are most passionate and knowledgeable about. You can also work for someone as a health writer.
Become a Freelance Medical Writer ✍🏼
Engaging in medical writing can be a versatile and intellectually stimulating side gig for nurses with a knack for writing and a passion for healthcare topics.
As a freelance writer, you craft engaging content for healthcare organizations, publications, or websites. You have the freedom to tackle various writing tasks, from blog posts to articles, and from social media to educational materials.
Writing health-related articles enables you to disseminate your knowledge, establish your brand, contribute to the ongoing discourse in the healthcare sector, and attract potential clients or employers.
Healthcare writers cover a broad spectrum of topics, including:
- patient care,
- medical research,
- health trends,
- healthcare policy, etc
This side venture offers a flexible schedule, allowing you to write and publish content at your convenience. It can be monetized through freelance writing opportunities, content creation for healthcare organizations, or guest blogging on healthcare websites.
There are also opportunities for nurses to assist with marketing materials for medical facilities.
With the requisite expertise, freelance health writers can earn an average of $20 per hour, with seasoned writers earning between $30 and $100+ per hour on a flexible schedule.
As a healthcare writer, you can leverage this platform to highlight your nursing expertise, hone your writing skills, and engage a wider audience interested in healthcare-related topics.
However, it’s worth noting that while this can be a lucrative venture, nurse medical writers may need to develop a portfolio for high-paying positions, which can require time. Freelancers are also subject to self-employment tax.
Start a Healthcare Blog
Starting a healthcare nursing blog can be a fulfilling and creative side hustle for nurses looking to share their expertise, experiences, and insights with a global audience.
By creating a blog focused on healthcare and medical topics, you can enlighten and engage readers while positioning yourself as an authority in the nursing field.
Nurse bloggers can cover a wide range of subjects, such as patient care tips, career advice, healthcare trends, or personal reflections on the nursing profession.
It’s advisable to concentrate on areas where your expertise aligns with a lack of coverage.
Although it requires time, you can progressively monetize your blog through various methods, such as:
- Affiliate marketing: Promote healthcare-related products and services and earn commissions.
- Sponsored content: Collaborate with healthcare brands for sponsored posts.
- Ads: Display ads on your blog and generate revenue based on clicks or views.
- Selling digital products: Create and sell e-books, courses, or merchandise related to healthcare.
With minimal startup costs, adaptable scheduling, and boundless earning potential, healthcare blogging emerges as an excellent side hustle for nurse entrepreneurs looking to inspire others and potentially earn additional income while sharing their passion for nursing.
Getting Started with Freelance Health Writing and Healthcare Blogging
- Identify your nursing specialty area to focus your writing and blogging efforts effectively.
- Establish an email address and set up a PayPal account for professional communication and payment transactions.
- Develop excellent writing samples showcasing your expertise and style.
- Guest post on health and healthcare websites to gain exposure and build credibility in the field.
- Create a website to serve as your blogging platform and showcase your articles.
- Utilize free writing portfolio platforms like Contently to showcase your work to potential clients.
- Network with other nurse writers on social media platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn to exchange ideas and opportunities.
- Explore nurse writer job opportunities on platforms like Freelance Writing Gigs, Indeed, Scripted, and Upwork to find freelance gigs and writing projects.
Freelance Nursing Consultancy 🏥💼
As an experienced healthcare professional, your extensive knowledge and proficiency can be harnessed to benefit others via freelance nursing consultancy services.
You have the opportunity to provide advice, insights, and guidance to educational institutions, healthcare organizations, or individuals grappling with healthcare-related issues.
To begin, create a website or social media presence to advertise your services and highlight your expertise. Building networks with healthcare professionals and organizations can pave the way for prospective clients.
Consider specializing in areas such as:
- Healthcare policy consulting
- Medical device consulting
- Healthcare marketing consulting
- Clinical research consulting
Employers seek candidates with a strong nursing background, often favoring registered nurses. Depending on your location, additional certifications may be necessary to validate your credentials.
When determining rates, consider your experience, project complexity, and market rates for similar services. You can charge by the hour or by project, depending on what works best for you and your clients
Adjunct Nursing Instructor 🏫🎓
For experienced nurses, becoming an adjunct nursing instructor presents a flexible and rewarding job opportunity. This role allows you to share your practical skills, theoretical knowledge, and professional expertise with nursing students or practicing healthcare professionals.
As an adjunct nursing instructor, you will teach part-time at community colleges, nursing schools, or universities. Your responsibilities will include delivering lectures, conducting clinical demonstrations, and assessing student performance.
This side venture can be performed remotely, offering you the flexibility to work from anywhere and connect with students globally.
Adjunct tutoring demands strong communication skills, patience, and a genuine passion for teaching and mentoring others.
By becoming an adjunct nursing instructor, you can positively influence the education and professional development of aspiring nurses.
Additionally, this role provides an avenue for earning extra income and expanding your influence within the nursing community. Experienced nurses can potentially earn $1,000 or more per week as tutors.
However, this side gig may not suit nurses lacking teaching experience. Educational institutions typically prefer candidates with a bachelor of science in nursing and an active RN license. Balancing adjunct teaching with a full-time nursing job during the academic year could pose a challenge.
How to Get Started:
- Reach out to faculty connections from your nursing education to inquire about available positions or teaching assistant opportunities.
- Document any research or scholarly publications from your academic tenure as a nurse.
- Explore open positions on LinkedIn, Indeed, and other job sites, paying attention to the position requirements and details.
First Aid Course Instructor 🚑🧠
Becoming a first aid course instructor can be a rewarding and impactful side job for nurses looking to teach life-saving skills and empower individuals to respond effectively to emergencies.
As a certified instructor, you can deliver first-aid training courses to laypersons, healthcare professionals, schools, workplaces, and community organizations. By leveraging your expertise, you can guide participants in developing the necessary knowledge and skills for providing immediate care during emergencies.
This side hustle requires strong teaching and communication skills, as well as a passion for educating others on essential first-aid practices.
To get started, obtain certification in first aid instruction from organizations like the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association. These certification courses, which typically span a few days, cover crucial topics such as adult and pediatric CPR, AED use, and basic first aid.
Upon certification, you can market your services through various channels such as social media, flyers, or word of mouth. Collaborating with local businesses, schools, or community centers to offer workshops to their members or employees can be a great way to start.
When pricing your services, consider workshop duration, participant count, and required materials. Rates can be flat or per person, with instructors earning up to $100 per hour.
Medical Transcription Services
Medical transcription can be a convenient side hustle for nurses with strong typing and listening skills, as well as a keen eye for detail.
Also known as healthcare documentation specialists, medical transcriptionists transcribe medical records, reports, and other documents dictated by healthcare providers.
Medical transcriptionists work remotely, often on a flexible schedule that allows them to fit the work around their primary nursing responsibilities.
To begin, you’ll need a computer, internet access, and transcription software. Consider taking courses or obtaining certification in medical transcription for accuracy and efficiency.
To succeed in this side hustle, you should have a solid understanding of medical terminology, anatomy, and common abbreviations, as well as the ability to accurately transcribe dictated notes into properly formatted documents.
Market your services to healthcare providers locally or on online platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr.
While the hourly rate for medical transcription may be lower than some other side hustles, earnings can reach up to $37,060 per year as a medical transcriptionist.
The beauty of medical transcription is that it can be done at your own pace and on your schedule. This makes it a suitable option for nurses looking to earn extra money from home without a significant time commitment.
Create And Sell Nursing Online Courses 👩🏻🏫🎓
Creating and selling nursing courses is a lucrative side hustle for nurses, enabling them to share their knowledge while earning extra income.
Nurses can develop online courses covering various topics such as clinical skills, patient education, nursing leadership, or specialty areas, addressing market needs.
Offering online courses provides a passive income stream, generating revenue beyond the initial creation.
Platforms like Udemy, Coursera, Teachable, or Thinkific simplify course creation, hosting, and selling to a global audience.
Aside from online platforms, market courses on social media and your website. Partner with healthcare organizations and hospitals for inclusion in their training programs.
Successful nurse entrepreneurs have created courses on wound care, medication administration, mental health first aid, and nursing career development.
Health & Wellness Coaching 🌿🧘♀️
Health and wellness coaching involves collaborating with individuals to devise personalized plans to enhance their overall health and well-being.
As a nurse, you possess a unique advantage as a wellness coach. Your deep understanding of the human body and ability to communicate complex medical information make you well-suited for this role.
To become a wellness coach, consider obtaining certification from reputable organizations like the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching. Certification requirements may vary depending on the organization but typically involve completing a training program and passing an exam.
Certified nurses can guide clients in lifestyle changes, nutrition, exercise, and stress management, complementing clinical expertise with a holistic wellness approach.
Work independently or join a health coaching platform, offering one-on-one sessions in person or online, providing schedule flexibility.
Earnings for wellness coaches range from $20 to $100 per hour, influenced by qualifications, chosen platform or business model, and client base.
Consider adding health and wellness coaching into your repertoire of side hustles to enrich both your clients’ lives and your own.
Nurse Entrepreneurship💡💼
Venturing into entrepreneurship can be an exciting and rewarding side hustle for nurses looking to start their own healthcare-related business.
As a nurse entrepreneur, you can leverage your nursing expertise and business acumen to develop innovative products or services that address unmet needs in the healthcare industry.
For instance, Rachel Silva, an RN turned entrepreneur, established Mommy Did You Know, a successful home healthcare consulting business, showcasing the potential to transform a side hustle into a thriving consultancy venture.
Whether you’re launching a medical device startup, a health coaching business, or a healthcare technology company, being a nurse entrepreneur allows you to combine your clinical knowledge with your entrepreneurial spirit to create positive change in healthcare.
This side venture offers the potential for high earnings, creative freedom, and the opportunity to make a lasting impact on patient care and healthcare delivery.
By embracing entrepreneurship, nurses can explore new avenues for professional growth, contribute to healthcare innovation, and build a successful business that aligns with their passion for nursing.
Other Notable and Profitable Side Gigs for Nurses
- Pick Up Extra Shifts: Earn extra income by picking up shifts beyond your regular schedule, often paid at 1.5x base pay. Explore opportunities at your facility or on platforms like NurseDash and ESHYFT.
- Answer Medical Surveys: Provide insights and opinions on healthcare products, services, and policies through medical surveys, offering flexibility and extra income.
- Camp Nursing: Work at summer camps, providing medical care and support to campers in a relaxed and flexible environment.
- Become a Travel Nurse: Consider short-term positions at healthcare facilities as a travel nurse, earning higher base pay and receiving tax-free stipends for housing and meals while exploring new cities.
- Medical Billing and Coding: Translate medical procedures and diagnoses into standardized codes for insurance claims and administrative purposes. Many organizations hire remote medical coders.
- Creating and Selling Printables: Design and sell health-related printables like planners and worksheets, leveraging expertise to create valuable products.
- Part-time Caregiver or Home Health Nurse: Provide medical care, assistance with daily activities, and companionship to elderly, sick, or disabled patients.
- Home Health Care: Offer part-time home health care services, including medical care and companionship, to patients.
- Vaccine Nurse: Administer vaccines and immunizations at clinics, pharmacies, or community events.
- BLS/PALS/ACLS Instructor: Teach life-saving skills and certifications like Basic Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support.
These lucrative and enjoyable side hustles allow you to utilize your skills, expand your professional horizons, and earn extra income within the healthcare industry or related fields, nurturing a sense of independence and creativity in your career. 🌟🚀
>> Click Here to Get 100 Passive Income Ideas To Help You Make Money & Build Wealth <<
Considerations Before Choosing a Nursing Side Job
When selecting a side job as a nurse, there are several key factors to consider to ensure it aligns with your goals, skills, and lifestyle. You’ll want to consider:
- Income Potential: Evaluate how much you can earn.
- Flexibility: Ensure it fits your nursing schedule.
- Skills and Interests: Choose something aligned with your expertise.
- Costs: Check startup and ongoing expenses.
- Licensing: Ensure you meet legal requirements.
- Impact: Consider how it may affect your main job.
By keeping these in mind, you can select a side gig that aligns with your goals and lifestyle as a nurse.
💡Start Earning Passive Income Today 💰
Nurses, it’s time to tap into your inner hustler. With a wealth of side hustle options available, you can boost your income and pursue new career paths that align with your schedule and interests.
In this post, we’ve highlighted some of the top side gigs for nurses. These side ventures offer high earning potential and opportunities to make a positive impact in the healthcare industry.
From patient care to education and entrepreneurship, there’s a side gig suited to your specialized skills and training, providing empowerment, flexible scheduling, and financial control.
The key to success lies in finding a side hustle you enjoy and excel at.
By seizing these side hustle opportunities, you not only increase your earning potential but also enhance your nursing career.
So, take the time to explore your options and discover the side hustle that resonates with you. Your bank account—and your well-being—will thank you. 🌟
Remember, as a nurse, you’re not limited to one path. Embrace the abundance of part-time job opportunities and let the extra money flow! 💰💉
What do you think are the best side hustles for nurses?
