Nursing skills are in high demand — so, why not turn your free time into extra cash with a side hustle? We’ve gathered a list of the top side jobs for nurses to help increase your income, plus a list of pros, cons, to help you choose the right path for you.
From vlogging adventures to PRN shifts, dive into over ten thrilling side hustles to explore. Who knows, you might just discover your new passion along the way!
Pros and Cons of Nursing Side Hustles
Taking on a side hustle as a nurse can be an exciting way to earn extra money and explore new opportunities. However, if you’re a busy parent or already juggling another nursing job, make sure you can seamlessly enjoy the rewards of a nursing side gig.
Pros to Nursing Side Jobs
Increase Your Pay
Side jobs for nurses can increase your take-home pay, allowing you to stress less over finances and live a better quality of life.
Boost Your Resume, Skills, and Experience
Double down on your experience by working two jobs at once. You can increase your confidence, knowledge, and skills by diversifying your career.
Expand Your Network
More experiences = more people you meet.
More people you meet = more opportunities.
As you expand your professional circle, you can open up more opportunities for your career, goals, and life.
Add Variety to Your Day-to-Day
Side jobs for nurses can shake things up if you’re feeling a bit ‘stuck’ or stagnant in your role. You’ll work with new people, learn new skills, and change up your daily grind.
Cons to Nursing Side Jobs
Can Split Your Focus & Energy
We only have so much time and energy in a day. If you’re not careful, your nursing side hustle can divide your focus, taking away from your career performance and goals.
Reduces Your Downtime
Some of the time you’d normally spend relaxing, doing chores, or hanging out with loved ones will get transferred to your hustle, leaving you with less downtime.
Can Complicate Tax Season
Multiple incomes can make tax season a bit more complicated. Make sure you’re prepared for and aware of any taxes you’ll need to pay for your extra gig.
Often Challenging to Make Money at First
Side jobs like per diem nursing can increase your income pretty quickly. But others, like writing or influencing, can require time, work, and investment before you start earning any extra income.
Top Nursing Side Hustles
Working as a Per Diem Nurse
Per diem nurses can work as little or as much as they want, making it one of the ultimate nursing side jobs. As a per diem nurse, you’ll work on call, often covering last-minute PRN shifts. This means a few things:
- You can pick up extra shifts to make some extra cash.
- You’ll often get paid more per hour due to the in-demand nature of the call.
- You’ll have more control over your schedule. If you need more shifts, you can pick them up. If you don’t need or want them, you don’t have to take them — it’s your call!
CPR or Nursing Instruction
Have your CPR certification? Breathe some life into it by applying for a CPR instruction course at your local community center or school.
CPR isn’t the only topic you can teach. Look at your nursing certifications, education, and licenses, and see what subjects you can teach as a side hustle.
Tutoring Nursing Students
If you don’t want to be a teacher, you can be a tutor. Offer group or one-on-one tutoring at your local university or your alma mater. You’ve successfully made it through and can help today’s nursing students do the same.
Plus, you can offer in-person or remote tutoring to make it that much more flexible to your schedule and style.
Vaccination or Immunization Nursing
Need extra income for the holidays? You can find side jobs for nurses at immunization clinics and pharmacies to administer flu and COVID-19 shots year-round, but they’re especially common during cold & flu season from October through March.
Most clinics operate during regular business hours, making vaccination nursing a flexible nursing side hustle.
Freelance Nurse Writing
Think back to your college days: How did you feel about those essays and research papers? If you have a knack for writing, consider freelance writing side jobs for nurses.
You can write blogs, articles, social media posts, and other content for companies looking for specialized nursing knowledge.
How can you find these jobs? Search for freelance nurse writing roles on job sites, pitch your services to health websites, market yourself on LinkedIn, or use freelancing platforms like Fiverr or Upwork.
Phlebotomy
Sharpen your lab skills by taking on phlebotomist gigs during your off hours. Apply to work part-time or per diem at local labs, hospitals, or nursing homes.
You can also mix things up as a contract traveling phlebotomist. Here, you can travel around your community to work at mobile blood drives, different clinics, or even patient’s homes.
Picking Up Extra Shifts
In the end, your nursing side hustle can be simple: Pick up extra shifts.
Ask your nursing manager if you can take on any extra shifts. Offer to take your co-workers’ shifts when they need it. Extra shifts can be especially easy to find during weekends, odd hours, or holidays.
Telehealth Nursing
Ever wonder what it’d be like to work from home? As a telehealth nurse, you can do just that. Stay home while making extra income by conducting virtual health assessments and appointments for clinics.
This is one of the best side jobs for nurses. It can increase your pay while letting you work from home.
Medical Transcription
Medical transcription is another great work-from-home nursing side hustle. You’ll listen to health professional’s voice recordings, transcribe them for reports, and review them for accuracy.
Nurse Blogging, Vlogging, or Influencing
Feeling creative? Use your nursing expertise to inspire your community. Start an Instagram account with tips for nursing students, a YouTube channel vlogging your daily experience as a nurse, or a TikTok account raising public awareness on important health issues — it’s up to you!
Eventually, you can build a platform that allows you to earn money through ads and sponsorships. Just remember: HIPAA applies online, too. Don’t share any videos, images, or protected information about your patients on your platform.
Bonus: Pick Up Non-Nursing Side Hustles
Of course, side jobs for nurses don’t have to be nurse-related. For instance, you can explore dog walking or pet sitting gigs, deliver food through a delivery service, or even start a small online business for handmade crafts or goods! The options are endless.
Resources to Build Your Nursing Career
Need help building your nursing career and income? CareerStaff is here to help. We’re here to help you find the top nursing jobs with competitive pay, great benefits, and work-life balance.
Quick Apply now to get connected to a recruiter or search hundreds of local, travel, and per diem nursing jobs nationwide today!