15 Side Gigs for Nurses Looking to Make Extra Money

15 Side Gigs for Nurses Looking to Make Extra Money

Explore the advantages and disadvantages of several popular secondary jobs available to nurses that can offer them extra earnings and expertise. Nurses may have the necessary training for taking on one or even two secondary activities. Remote work options provide increased flexibility for nurses seeking side gigs. Many of these side hustles in nursing still allow for direct patient interaction.

Although nursing can be fulfilling, nurses might be interested in boosting their financial resources. For those aiming to supplement their income, we’ve compiled this guide to side gigs tailored for nurses. Certain side hustles can be carried out from home, while others involve in-person patient care. Nevertheless, all of these gigs serve as additional sources of income.

Nursing Jobs You Can do from home

15 Side Gigs for Nurses

1. Remote Nurse Consultant

Nurses practicing remote consulting often operate from the convenience of their homes. They communicate with patients through webcams or over the phone. The responsibilities of a remote nurse consultant can involve offering medical guidance, explaining treatment options, and aiding with inquiries about home care.

The American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing recommends that potential remote nurse consultants acquire certification in ambulatory nursing through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Many employers in telehealth require candidates to have 3-5 years of clinical experience. As of October 2022, data from Payscale indicates that remote nurse consultants earn an average annual salary of around $57,500.

The Importance of Mentorship in Nursing

Pros: Opportunities in telehealth are frequently abundant due to technological advancements and the growing demand for easier access to healthcare resources.
Cons: Some companies may require their remote nurse consultants to work from a call center.

2. Vaccine or Immunization Nurse

Immunization nurses administer vaccinations to fulfill workplace, school, or public health prerequisites. This role is open to registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs). Vacancies are often available in hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies.

Pros: Nurses can choose to work part-time, seasonally, or as needed. Opportune times to earn extra income as an immunization nurse include flu season or before the school year commences.
Cons: Finding work during off-season periods can be challenging.

3. Medical Billing and Coding Specialist

Medical billing entails entering invoice data, liaising with insurance providers, and collecting payments. Billers translate information into codes for medical professionals and insurance companies.

Certain companies prefer to hire medical billers and coders with specific certifications. Relevant certifications include certified professional coder, certified coding associate, and registered health information technician.

According to data from March 2023, nurses engaging in this side hustle can earn approximately $47,350 per year.

Pros: Working hours are consistent and foreseeable, and opportunities for medical billers and coders exist wherever medical services are provided, ensuring convenient access to positions in either role.
Cons: Unlike traditional hands-on nursing tasks, the work of a medical biller or coder involves spending extended hours in front of a computer screen.

4. Independent Nurse Writer

Numerous online entities seek writers with direct healthcare experience. These writers provide insights and advice to enhance content. Opportunities for freelance writing aimed at nurses span websites, web-based magazines, blogs, and social media.

After establishing a writing portfolio and reputation, freelance writers can command higher fees for their work. Additionally, nurses can become expert contributors.

In the role of an expert contributor, these medical professionals review the accuracy of nursing articles authored by others. Payscale data from March 2023 indicates that general freelance writers earn an average yearly income of nearly $40,000.

Pros: Freelance writers are not tied to a single company, granting them greater flexibility in determining when and how much they work.
Cons: While freelance writing can be financially rewarding, nurses might need to present a portfolio of written work to secure high-paying positions. Without prior written work, it may take time to accumulate experience. Freelancers also need to manage self-employment taxes.

5. Childcare Provider

Opportunities for nurses seeking roles in childcare include aiding at daycare centers, acting as consultants for childcare businesses, and delivering home-based childcare services.

Nurses can also opt for the more adaptable path of becoming babysitters, as parents often feel more at ease leaving their children in the care of someone with medical expertise. On average, childcare workers earn roughly $34,000 per year, according to data from March 2023.

Pros: The demand for childcare services is consistently high, making it rare for nurses to struggle to find such opportunities.
Cons: The compensation earned as a childcare provider in a side gig might not justify the time commitment required.

6. Health Education Tutor or Instructor

Nurses intrigued by health education can pursue roles as tutors and first-aid/CPR instructors. Nursing tutors can attract students independently or work for third-party organizations like community colleges and learning centers. Such organizations may stipulate certification requirements. According to data from March 2023, tutors earn approximately $37,000 per year.

As first-aid/CPR instructors, nurses can work with diverse groups, including businesses, communities, social gatherings, and events. Nurses can complete a two-day CPR certification program through the American Red Cross.

Pros: As independent tutors, nurses often have online and in-person alternatives that allow them to establish their schedules and rates. First-aid/CPR instruction offers nurses a swift method to earn additional income.
Cons: Serving as a tutor or first-aid/CPR instructor demands patience and perseverance. Nurses must tailor their teaching style to meet students’ needs. Tutoring and teaching first-aid/CPR generally occur beyond standard business hours.

7. Adjunct Nursing Educator

An adjunct nurse is an educator responsible for nursing education over the course of a school term. They are faculty members who mirror clinical nurse educators in terms of their responsibilities.

Faculty roles are typically part-time and operate within environments like community colleges or clinical training settings. Education departments often prefer applicants holding a bachelor of science in nursing and a current RN license. Extensive lesson planning is a significant aspect of this role.

Pros: This position empowers nurses to educate the upcoming generation of nurses, making it suitable for retired nurses, practicing nurses, or as a complement to other side gigs.
Cons: This side gig may not suit nurses without prior teaching experience. Juggling adjunct teaching with a full-time nursing role during the school year can be challenging.

8. Private Duty or Home Health Nurse

Home health nurses assist elderly, ill, or disabled individuals in performing everyday tasks within their homes. While formal training isn’t mandatory to become a home health nurse, most individuals drawn to this role possess qualifications derived from field experience.

However, if the employment is through a federally funded agency, a personal care assistance license is required by the government. This license involves a skills assessment and evidence of completing 75 hours of field work. Based on data from March 2023, homecare nurses earn about $68,000 per year.

Pros: With an aging population, demand for home health nurses is on the rise. In-home providers enjoy greater work autonomy, enabling nurses to choose patients and treatment approaches. Homecare nurses also have opportunities for specialization.
Cons: While some nurses perceive autonomy as advantageous, others thrive with access to comprehensive support systems.

9. Camp Nurse

Nurses can secure positions at diverse camps, encompassing day, summer, and residential camps. Duties encompass providing medical care to campers who sustain injuries or fall ill.

Time commitments can vary from weekly to monthly, with most camps operating during the summer. Positions can range from daytime-only

shifts to mandatory overnight stays. While specialized certifications aren’t obligatory, active licensure and clinical experience are preferred.

Pros: Camp employment introduces nurses to a unique setting, appealing to those who prefer a non-traditional medical environment.
Cons: A full-time position alongside camp nursing might be too overwhelming. Moreover, the majority of roles are exclusively available during the summer, limiting opportunities.

Financial Help for Military and Veterans

10. Medical Transcriptionist

Medical transcriptionists convert audio recordings from physicians and other healthcare practitioners into written documents. After examining patients, doctors frequently record their notes to save time, rather than writing them down.

Becoming a medical transcriptionist requires some training. However, a nursing background proves beneficial due to familiarity with specific terminology.

Nurses can also obtain registration as a medical transcriptionist or earn certification, enhancing their qualifications.

Pros: Transcription tasks can be accomplished remotely using a computer and headset, ensuring easy accessibility. Nurses can work from home and set their own hours.
Cons: The role of a medical transcriptionist might be excessively sedentary for nurses accustomed to hands-on tasks.

11. Nurse Influencer

Nurse influencers focus on offering expert insights into the nursing field. They guide and inspire current nurses and those considering a nursing career. Nurse influencers earn extra income through sponsored content, selling advertising space, and reviewing medical equipment.

Pros: Being self-employed as an influencer allows nurses to create content aligned with their interests. Influencers take pride in knowing their information can influence the medical community.
Cons: Although online influence can be lucrative, achieving success requires substantial time and effort. Nurses must consistently provide fresh content and cultivate and sustain an audience.

12. PRN or Per Diem Nurse

Per diem nurses collaborate with staffing agencies or peruse job boards to identify temporary opportunities. Often, nurses assume these roles to fill gaps caused by staff taking sick leave, vacations, or an unusually high influx of hospital admissions.

Per diem nurses can engage in various roles, including hospital, clinic, hospice, and/or school positions. They remain on call but have the option to decline offered shifts.

Pros: Beyond generating additional income, per diem work allows nurses to enhance their skills, gain experience in different specialties or facilities, and attain greater control over their work-life balance.
Cons: Predicting work availability is often challenging, leaving per diem nurses uncertain about hours or assignments. Opportunities are contingent upon employer demand.

13. Paid Medical Survey Participant

Nurses can apply their clinical knowledge in medical market surveys. Research firms in the healthcare sector conduct studies to provide clients insights into the industry, relying on panels of nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals to complete surveys.

Nurses with this side gig can register with multiple survey portals and earn compensation for completing surveys. Some portals are free, while others provide monetary incentives just for signing up. Several portals enable nurses to take surveys via their phones and receive payments through PayPal.

Here are three portals to consider:

ZoomRX
MedSurvey
InCrowd

Pros: Participating in paid medical surveys offers a flexible way to earn income based on one’s skills.
Cons: Survey availability varies, and payment fluctuates depending on the portal. Some portals might not have an immediate demand for individuals with nursing backgrounds.

14. Traveling Phlebotomist

Become a traveling phlebotomist and experience a change of environment while adding some extra funds. According to ZipRecruiter, this side gig can yield around $35,130 annually.

Traveling phlebotomists can work in hospital settings, blood banks, nursing homes, and even during blood drives. As a side gig, “traveling” might involve staying closer to home, simplifying the process of identifying which state board to consult for licensure requisites.

It’s worth noting that a traveling phlebotomist differs from a mobile phlebotomist. While traveling phlebotomists work in hospitals or clinics without being core staff members, mobile phlebotomists conduct home visits.

Pros: Nurses engaged in this side gig can choose their work location and potentially have control over their schedules.
Cons: Nurses might need to pursue additional education to renew their certification for starting this side gig.

15. Clinical Research Nurse

Clinical research nurses aid in clinical trials by acting as intermediaries between volunteer patients and researchers. They oversee patient safety and gather data for trials.

Being a clinical research nurse is sometimes encompassed within the role of nurse researcher. According to data from February 2023, full-time research nurses earn an average annual salary of $81,500.

Pros: This side gig allows nurses to actively participate in clinical trials that could lead to medical breakthroughs directly impacting patient outcomes.

Cons: Earnings quality is linked to the cities conducting the trials. Larger urban areas might offer higher pay for clinical research nurses.

Given their medical training and experience, nurses can select from an array of side gigs to bolster their income. Some of these roles can complement a full-time nursing job while providing opportunities for remote or seasonal work.

Side gigs enable nurses to explore other areas of interest. A few of these positions offer lucrative compensation, potentially transforming these side hustles into primary occupations. Nurses can leverage their skills and passions in non-clinical roles to earn extra income, acquire experience, and contribute to the healthcare community.