Nurses, are you one crappy assignment away from turning in your resignation with no backup plan? Maybe you’re in over your head with a home improvement project but cannot imagine picking up another overtime shift. It’s time to start considering ways to generate passive income. This will give you the financial freedom to finally say “absolutely not” to your next request to pick up overtime.
When it comes to making extra money, there are SO many side hustle opportunities for nurses! Let’s take a look at five unique options, which allow you to have some fun while earning. We will start with the positions that most align with your current skill set and then move into gigs that will make you think, “Wait… I can do that and be a nurse?”
- IV Hydration/ Wellness Center RN
If you have completed nursing school, you know how to place an IV and start fluids. When you pick up shifts at IV hydration and wellness centers, you will be paid to flex this skill. As a mobile IV hydration nurse, you are responsible for administering IV fluids infused with vitamins and antioxidants at patients’ homes.
Franchised wellness centers like Restore Wellness hire nurses to provide additional medical services, such as IM injections and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Check job boards in your nearest city center to see what types of opportunities are available to serve your local hungover Saturday morning crowds.
- Concierge Nurse
A concierge nurse provides healthcare services outside of the hospital. The most common setting is home check-ins after surgery. This is different from home health nursing, which involves longer-term care and is regulated by an overseeing agency. As a concierge nurse, you are self-employed and have the freedom to offer the level of care you’re comfortable providing (Concierge RN, n.d.).
Consider a patient who is discharged home from breast reconstruction surgery. She may not need around-the-clock care but could use some help stripping a JP drain and checking the dressing. As a nurse concierge, you will earn a flat fee per patient. This means you can build your schedule around your financial goals. To learn more about starting a business as a concierge nurse, visit Concierge RN.
If starting your own business feels like too big of a commitment, you can find opportunities to be hired as an off-duty nurse on sites like Upwork or local community pages. As an off-duty nurse, you will get paid to:
- Fill in as a school nurse for field trips
- Become a night nurse. NICU and peds nurses give newborns their overnight feedings so that new parents can get some sleep!
- Take an elderly person to their doctor’s appointments
- Accompany an individual with medical needs on an international flight
3. E-commerce Salesperson
Nurses, your days off are your time to unwind and indulge in a hobby that clears your mind of call bells and alarms. However, have you thought about monetizing your hobby so that you can get paid during your downtime?
For the crafty and hands-on nurses, platforms like Etsy are your new best friend. These sites are great for selling those graphic t-shirts you designed with your Cricut. For bigger projects like flipping furniture, you will need a dedicated workspace like a garage or shed. Still, the payoff can be huge. Check out selling platforms such as OfferUp, Ebay, and Facebook Marketplace to start profiting from your creations. For the fashionista nurse, sell your clothes on Mercari or Poshmark. You could also create your own online store on Shopify.
4. Travel advisor
Travel nurses and jet-setting RNs, does the following sound familiar? Your type-A nurse brain totally nerds out when it comes to planning a trip and you have a spreadsheet for every detail—from the flight itinerary to the place where Anthony Bourdain ate when he visited. If so, you’re qualified to become a travel advisor.
Websites like InteleTravel allow you to become a travel advisor in a few easy steps. You will earn commission from the trips your client’s book and you can work flexible hours to accommodate your unusual sleep schedule. (I’m looking at you, nightshift!)
5. Investor
Now is a great time to start improving your financial health the same way you manage your physical wellness. As a nurse, you’re analytical and mathematical with a good sense of risk—why not leverage this to become an investor? Thanks to technology and trading platforms like Robinhood, medical minds are building wealth by becoming traders in the stock market. Whether you want to start with what you know or learn about emerging technologies, you can become an investor in:
- Real estate
- 401(k) retirement plans
- Stocks
- Cryptocurrency
- Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)
If you’re already a financially-savvy nurse, start your own business as a financial planner. Nurses often choose this side hustle to help colleagues plan for their future— from preparing for retirement to sending children off to college.
The opportunities for nurses to take on a fun and lucrative side hustle are endless. Whether you’re a world traveler or a stoic craftsman, you have the ability to monetize your hobby and generate passive income doing something you love. Instead of spending your day off back on the unit, make money indulging in a profitable side hustle. To learn more about how to create passive income through investments, visit The Networth Nurse.
References
Concierge RN. (n.d.). Our Services. Retrieved from
