15 Best Side Hustle Ideas for Nurses in 2024
Nursing is a highly skilled and challenging profession, but most of the time nurses aren’t paid enough. It’s no wonder, then, that many nurses are looking for a side hustle to boost their income. We’ve researched and created a comprehensive list of 15 realistic side hustles for nurses, with the highest earning potential, to fit around your busy nursing career and avoid the dreaded burnout.
15 Best Side Hustles for Nurses
Caregiving
As a nurse, you will already have lots of experience in caregiving, which you can turn into a valuable side hustle through babysitting, elderly care, or childcare. The great thing about this method is that it can be flexible around your nursing schedule. Platforms like Care.com, Babysits, and Puls+ allow you to set your availability and earn some extra income on your terms.
Medical Freelance Writing
Freelance writing is also a great side hustle to explore which allows you to work according to your schedule. If you have a passion and skill for writing, alongside your nursing expertise, consider submitting topical articles and educational content to local news outlets, medical organizations, or health publications like Healthy Magazine or SELF Magazine. Or, you could start a blog sharing your nursing insights and knowledge, but ensure you identify your niche here to stand out.
Baby Sleep Consulting
Sleep Consultants are healthcare professionals who help identify and solve sleep issues for babies, ensuring tired parents get the sleep they need. You can make sleep consulting your side hustle by joining the Center for Pediatric Sleep Management and completing their sleep consultant course. Realistically speaking, there will always be exhausted parents who are willing to pay good money to solve their sleeping issues, and that’s where you potentially come in. With your credible nursing background and sleep consulting skills, this side hustle can be a very well-paid option. But, remember: you will have to put in the work to promote yourself, whether that be on social media, at local business events, or local news outlets.
Clinical Research Nurse
Clinical research provides evidence for or against new medicines or healthcare. As a clinical research nurse, you are responsible for patient care and well-being during the trial, as well as data collection. This can be a very fulfilling side hustle, as you might be involved with the discovery of new treatments that will directly help patients while also expanding your medical knowledge. Most clinical research nurses have the additional Clinical Research Coordinator certification, so you could explore this to increase your chances of employment. Then, simply keep an eye out for clinical research in your area to start earning some additional income.
First Aid Instructor
As a registered nurse, becoming a first aid instructor is an obvious side hustle to earn some extra money. Gaining official certification to instruct CPR is required, but otherwise, little training is needed for registered nurses due to the overlap in skills between first aid and nursing. With your expertise, you can help others learn first aid - a job that is always in high demand.
Create an Online Course
One of the amazing benefits of being a registered nurse is how much valuable knowledge you have on important topics like health and wellbeing. Creating an online course applies this knowledge to help educate other hopeful nurses while earning you some additional income in the process. This will usually involve sharing your medical expertise on video, so you might need to invest in some proper equipment and brush up on your editing skills to begin. Then, with the help of platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and Thinkific, you can publish your courses to earn some passive income. While it will take plenty of time to create a course, it may eventually turn into a steady source of extra income.
Telehealth Nurse
Telehealth has grown in popularity, particularly since the pandemic, as an accessible and affordable healthcare option for many. That means there is a high demand for telehealth nurses, who provide remote healthcare and consultations through phone or video calls. This is a great option for a side hustle as it is simply like doing your regular job, but remotely. First, you have to complete a certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and then you’re ready to start. An added benefit of this side hustle is that it’s incredibly flexible - you could work evenings, weekends, or days off to earn some extra income.
Medical Surveys
Medical surveys can be a good side hustle option for nurses due to their valued opinions in the medical field. There are lots of surveys online looking for educated opinions on pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and new healthcare technologies. The benefit of this side hustle is its accessible nature, which can fit around your schedule. However, the earning potential is low: you’ll need to complete a large amount of surveys before feeling any true financial gain.
Tutoring
Tutoring trainee nurses can be a very rewarding and profitable side hustle option for experienced nurses. Platforms like Preply, Tutor.com, and Chegg Study allow you to create an online profile to start reaching out and advertising to potential students. You can also set your availability to suit your working hours, set your rates, and even opt-in to tutor exclusively online so you won’t have to worry about traveling across the country. This is a great option for anyone keen to help the next generation of nurses get up to speed!
Medical Biller
For those nurses with experience in administration, becoming a medical biller can be a great option for a side hustle. Medical billers are responsible for collecting medical fees and supervising insurance claims for the healthcare provider. Many roles advertised allow you to work from home, making this a flexible additional income stream. It can also be profitable, with an average hourly salary of $19.64. Many employers will, however, require additional training and certification to become a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT).
Phlebotomist
Becoming a traveling phlebotomist could be a great option to earn some extra money in 2024, especially given the overlap in skills with nursing. This approach involves working, without being tied by contract, for hospitals, nursing homes, and schools in a freelancing role. Many positions are part-time or one-offs, so you will be able to work around your normal nursing schedule. However, be prepared for some additional training and certification, depending on your employer. Plus, many roles might need lengthy travel, which may be both tiring and impractical - be sure to consider this when applying.
Immunization Nurse
Immunization nurses are on hand to give vaccinations against a range of preventable diseases. With all of your medical expertise, you could start a side hustle by becoming an immunization nurse. You can search for any open roles at local clinics, hospitals, or health centers and opt-in for shifts that work around your regular schedule. During periods like flu season, there is often an increase in available work, however, this also means the work can be quite inconsistent with this side hustle.
Create a Nursing YouTube Channel
The popularity of educational YouTube channels with medical insights and tips has grown in recent years, presenting a great opportunity for a nurse to launch their own channel on the topic. First of all, it must be said that it can be very difficult to build a popular YouTube channel as there is so much competition on the platform. You need to really stand out to gain viewers and start to monetize. However, if you’re able to find your niche within nursing and gain an audience, you can apply for the YouTube Partner Program. If you meet their requirements, you will be given access to a range of benefits including in-video ad revenue, fan donations, and the ability to create channel memberships. Just remember, there might not be a payoff with this side hustle, but you might have fun in the process!
Medical Transcription
Medical transcriptionists are responsible for writing down and documenting audio from doctors, surgeons, or any other healthcare professionals. Nurses will already know the importance of this role in ensuring patients’ medical information is properly recorded, and likely already have experience here, making it a great potential side hustle. Many opportunities offer flexible, part-time work, which can be lucrative, with the national wage average being $19.18 an hour.
Cosmetics Professional
The rising popularity of cosmetic fillers is a trend you could capitalize on by offering cosmetic injections as your side hustle. You might already have experience as a cosmetic nurse, or you can gain an optional certification through the Plastic Surgical Nursing Certification Board. You can even offer your services from the comfort of your home with full flexibility on the hours you commit to. Your experience and expertise as a trained nurse will be sure to make your clients feel at ease.
FAQ
Can nurses have two jobs?
Nurses can have two jobs, but the demands of the role and working 40+ hours a week can make side hustles a tiring and unattractive thought. We’ve aimed to share realistic side hustles that don’t demand too much of your time and can work flexibly around your schedule.
What are the easiest side hustles for nurses?
Some of the easiest side hustles for nurses are caregiving, house-sitting, giving immunization shots, and completing medical surveys as they require very little training or startup funds.
Which is the highest-paying side hustle for nurses?
The most profitable side hustle for nurses is baby sleep consulting, with the average consultation fee between $350 - $450. A full-time position can even earn you between $60,000 - $160,000.
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