18 Great Side Hustles For Nurses

If you’re a nurse by trade, you might be interested to know that there are some great side hustles for nurses.

Working side hustle jobs can be a fantastic way to earn money for just about anything from paying off debt to buying a home.

In this article, we’re sharing the best ways nurses can earn some extra income. 

Best Side Hustle Ideas For Nurses

As a nurse, you may or may not be able to work all of these side hustle ideas. It will depend on your specific nurse certifications and training, your life schedule and more.

Read through each idea to find the best side hustle ideas that fit you. 

1. CPR Instructor

Nurses are often hired to work as CPR instructors, since they typically already know how to do CPR.

The nice thing about working as a CPR instructor is that the classes are usually no more than a couple of hours long or so. 

On top of that, the hourly wage or wage per class is usually quite attractive. A quick search for CPR instructor jobs in my area showed a salary of $30 to $100 per hour. 

Find available jobs on job search websites. 

2. First Aid Instructor

First aid instructor jobs are similar to CPR jobs in that, as a nurse, you’re already trained in that area and won’t need additional certification. 

As a first aid instructor, you might teach firefighters, police officers, teachers or members of the general public.

Although first aid classes are typically longer than classes that teach CPR alone, the hourly wage is still great.

You can work for three or four hours in the afternoon or evening and easily earn $100 or more in that time. 

Again, job search websites are the best place to find first aid instructor jobs. Or simply do an internet search for “first aid instructor jobs near me.”

3. Home Health Care Nurse

As a home health care nurse, you’ll go to the homes of clients to help them with whatever they need. 

You may visit a client to take vital signs and check on progress, to change dressings and monitor wounds, or to provide for hospice care.

The types of home health care nursing positions are expansive. And you can often choose your own hours as well as the type of clients you want to work with. 

Pay is attractive, and jobs are available for nearly every level of nursing degree. Find jobs on job search websites or by searching home health care company websites. 

4. Nursing Teacher

Nursing teacher jobs are widely available through academic facilities or through hiring agencies. 

You can often choose between remote teaching positions or in-person teaching positions. You might find work as a coach that helps nursing students prepare for exams.

Or you can teach continuing education courses. Teach a wide array of clients from nursing students to experienced nursing staff. 

Part-time nursing teacher positions often pay $50 per hour or more. This type of side hustle could be good for you if you like teaching people and have good patience skills. 

5. Birthing Doula

When you work as a birthing doula, you’ll help clients as they manage their pregnancy and the birth of their child. 

Doulas are different from OB/GYNs in that they don’t need an OB/GYN degree. Doulas also focus on helping pregnancy and birth be as natural as possible. 

You can also work as a doula supervisor, helping doulas learn and manage their job positions. Both part-time and full-time doula work is available. 

Or you can work as a self-employed doula and take on clients as you wish. Doula’s make an average of $24 per hour according to Zip Recruiter.

6. Phlebotomist

A phlebotomist might be a good side hustle job for you if you are experienced in drawing blood and like doing so.

It’s important for clinics and hospitals to have good phlebotomists on staff as they help patients remain calm and make for a comfortable experience. 

From a side hustle perspective, you can find work at many clinics and hospitals that will allow you to choose your shifts. 

Mobile phlebotomists work all over their area for different companies. Although pay for phlebotomists isn’t as high as some of the other job positions mentioned here. However, it is a flexible job that nearly any nurse can do.  

7. Per Diem Shift Worker

As a per diem shift worker in the field of nursing, you pick up extra shifts whenever you want. 

These shifts are typically available through independent companies, and you’ll work at a wide range of clinics and hospitals.

Aside from giving you the ability to work where and when you choose, per diem shifts pay quite attractively as well. 

Search “per diem nurse” on job search sites to find openings. Per diem shift jobs are often available for all types of nurses. 

8. Nursing Faculty

If you’re an RN, which not consider working as a faculty member at a local college? Nurses are most often hired as adjunct professors that work alongside a professor. 

As someone with a nursing degree and experience in the field, you can be a great help to nursing and other medical students who can glean wisdom from your expertise. 

Find jobs at local colleges and universities by searching job openings on each school’s website or by searching job search websites. 

Pay for these types of positions is often per diem with an attractive hourly wage. 

These positions pay between $21 and $43 per hour according to Zippia.

Best Online Jobs for Nurses

These side hustle ideas for nurses focus on opportunities to work online. That means you can work from home or from just about anywhere you want to as long as you’ve got an internet connection. 

9. Telehealth Nurse

Telehealth medical appointments started increasing in popularity during the COVID crisis, and they continue to be a common way to get medical help.

As a telehealth nurse, you’ll most often help people decide whether or not they need to go in to see a doctor or not. 

Or you may be called upon to work as a triage nurse or to help patients understand their medical condition. 

This side hustle job comes with a variety of responsibilities, so it rarely gets boring. Find openings and apply online at popular job search sites.

10. Health Writer

Are you a nurse that has a gift for writing? If so, why not work as a health writer? Blog owners, website owners and business owners alike often have a need for freelance writers. 

And as a nurse, you have the education, experience and expertise that can bring validity to the articles that you write. 

Find work by searching on the best job search sites such as Indeed. Or visit some of your favorite health blogs or websites.

Reach out to the owners/editors via the contact page, and ask if they’re interested in hiring you as a writer. 

Not sure what to write about? No worries. As an independently contracted writer, the companies you work for will often tell you what to write about, give you sample articles and more. 

11. Medical Transcriptionist

Transcriptionists work to transcribe audio tapes into written documents. As a medical transcriptionist, you’ll be transcribing audio information from doctors onto medical records. 

As a nurse working in the medical transcription field, you’ll have a leg up on the competition applying for these jobs. 

This is because you already know quite a bit about the medical field. You’ll understand most of the terms doctors are talking about in their reports. 

The job of medical transcriptionist is suitable for both RN and LPN nurses. 

Note: If you are a quick and efficient typist, you’ll earn a higher income in this job. 

12. Online Nursing Tutor

You could also find work as an online tutor. For instance, you may be able to find work as a private nursing tutor. 

You can help current nursing students work through classes they’re struggling in. Or you can help them create efficient studying skills and manageable schedules. 

Offer your services at colleges and universities. 

Best Freelance Businesses for Nurses

You may be interested in working a freelance business if you’re a nurse. As a freelance business owner, you control what type of work you do and what your income is.

You’ll also have to track your income and expenses, and possibly make quarterly tax payments as an independent contractor. 

Do any of these freelance worker ideas interest you? 

13. Health Blog Owner

As a nurse, you could share your vast expertise on health and wellness by owning a health blog. 

Your blog could share information about any subject that interests you, from general health and wellness to specified medical conditions. 

Once your blog is up and running, you can use this list of ideas for making money as a beginner blogger as you share your wisdom with readers. 

How will you get readers to your blog? By marketing aggressively on social media and networking with other health blog owners. 

14. Course Creator

Another way you can share your health knowledge as a business owner would be to create and offer courses. 

Using a site such as Udemy, you can create courses on anything from health and wellness to courses that help nursing students pass their classes. 

The great part about becoming a course creator is that once your video course is complete and published, you’ve got a true passive income source. 

As with blog ownership, you’ll want to market your courses in the appropriate settings so that people know where to find them. 

15. Part-Time Caregiver

You could also use your nursing degree to work as a part-time, self-employed caregiver. Simply advertise your services on Craigslist or similar sites. 

Use your ad to summarize what type of care you give (i.e., elderly, childcare, etc.) and what hours you are available. 

One of the nice things about this and other business ideas in this section is that you can do them whether you’re an RN or an LPN. 

Additionally, you can find a position near where you live. 

16. Health Coach

How about working as a health coach? Given your experience as a nurse, you could be the perfect person to help people get healthier. 

As a health coach, you could work with people one-on-one or teach groups of people in your home or in a community education type of setting. 

And you get to teach where you want, when you want and on what subjects you want. Teach anything from basic wellness, to nutrition to exercise basics. 

Charge a fee that makes the hourly work you do worth the effort. This could be a great way to work from home as a nurse.

Advertise your coaching sessions on community Facebook pages, at local clinics and at pharmacies. 

17. YouTube Channel Owner

YouTube channel owners make money by sharing information via video. 

As a nurse with a YouTube channel, you could share information about anything from health subjects to study ideas for nursing students. 

The one thing to know about making money with a YouTube channel is that the viewers have to come before the income starts. 

That means you’ll need to spend some time building your viewership and your subscriber list. 

You can do this by opening social media accounts that are linked to your YouTube channel. 

Be active on your social media accounts and interact with others who publish videos in the health/nursing genre as well. 

18. Medical Podcast Host

Podcasts are still very popular, and medical knowledge cannot be gained fast enough, both for the medical professional and for the layperson. 

As with blogging, you can get paid for advertising and affiliate links when you own a podcast show. 

If you’re great at communicating and connecting with others, a podcast might be the perfect side hustle for you. 

You can talk about a wide variety of subjects. Build connections with readers as they learn more about medical subjects, health, wellness or whatever you want to talk about. 

Listen to other medical podcasts to get ideas about formatting, subject matter ideas and more. 

Summary

This list of great side hustles for nurses spans nearly all genres of interest and training. Use it to increase your income and to help expand your list of marketable skills. 

And when you’re asked, you can share these ideas with friends who work in the nursing profession. 

Best of luck as you work on your side hustle career.