15 Secondary Jobs for Nurses Seeking Extra Income

15 Secondary Jobs for Nurses Seeking Extra Income

Examine the advantages and disadvantages of several popular additional employment options accessible to nurses to enhance their earnings and expertise. Nurses might already have the required training for one or even two side jobs. Opportunities for remote work have increased the flexibility of secondary positions for nurses.
Several nursing side gigs enable continued direct patient interaction. While nursing can be fulfilling, nurses might be interested in bolstering their finances. For those aiming to earn a little extra money, we’ve compiled a guide to secondary job opportunities for nurses. Some of these part-time jobs can be conducted remotely, while others entail hands-on patient care. Regardless, they all serve as supplementary sources of income.

15 Secondary Jobs for Nurses

1. Remote Health Advisor

Nurses specializing in telehealth often conduct consultations from the comfort of their homes. They communicate with patients through webcams or over the phone. The responsibilities of a telehealth nurse can encompass offering medical guidance, explaining treatment options, and addressing inquiries related to home care.

The American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing advises aspiring telehealth nurses to seek certification in ambulatory nursing from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Many telehealth employers mandate 3-5 years of clinical experience.

Telehealth nurses typically earn an annual average salary of about $57,500, based on limited data from Payscale as of October 2022.

Pros: Telehealth positions are frequently abundant due to the growing technological advancements and the escalating demand for simplified access to healthcare resources.
Cons: Some companies require telehealth nurses to operate from call centers.

2. Vaccine or Immunization Specialist

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

Pros: Nurses can opt for part-time, seasonal, or as-needed work. Ideal times to earn extra income as an immunization specialist are during flu season or before the school year begins.
Cons: Finding work during the off-season can prove challenging.

3. Medical Billing and Coding Expert

Medical billing entails inputting invoice data, liaising with insurance providers, and securing payments. Billers convert information into codes for medical professionals and insurance firms.

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

According to data from Payscale as of March 2023, nurses engaged in this side gig can earn around $47,350 annually.

Pros: Work hours are consistent and foreseeable, and medical billing and coding opportunities are accessible wherever medical services are offered, allowing easy access to either role.
Cons: Unlike traditional hands-on tasks, working as a medical biller or coder entails spending extended hours in front of a computer screen.

4. Freelance Medical Writer

Numerous online entities seek writers with firsthand healthcare experience. These writers contribute insights and advice to enhance the quality of content. Opportunities for freelance writing are diverse, encompassing websites, web-based magazines, blogs, and social media platforms.

After amassing a portfolio and reputation, freelance writers can command higher fees for their services. Nurses can also become expert contributors.

As expert contributors, these medical professionals validate the accuracy of nursing articles authored by others. General freelance writers earn an average of almost $40,000 annually, based on Payscale data from March 2023.

Pros: Freelance writers are not tied to a single company, affording them more flexibility in terms of when and how much they work.
Cons: Although freelance writing can be lucrative, nurses might need to present a portfolio of written work for higher-paying roles. Without prior written work, building experience could take time. Freelancers also typically pay self-employment taxes.

5. Childcare Provider

Options for nurses seeking childcare roles include assisting at daycare centers, acting as consultants for childcare establishments, and offering home-based childcare services.

Nurses can also opt for the more adaptable path of becoming babysitters, as parents often prefer entrusting their children to someone with medical training/experience. On average, childcare workers earn about $34,000 annually, according to Payscale data from March 2023.

Pros: The demand for childcare services is constant, ensuring that nurses seldom struggle to find such opportunities.
Cons: The income generated from working as a childcare provider as a side job might not warrant the time invested.

6. Health Tutor or Instructor

Nurses interested in health education can pursue roles as tutors and first-aid/CPR instructors. Nursing tutors can independently find students or collaborate with third-party entities, such as community colleges and learning centers. These third-party organizations might impose certification prerequisites. Generally, tutors earn roughly $37,000 yearly, based on Payscale data from March 2023.

As first-aid/CPR instructors, nurses can contribute to various groups, including businesses, communities, social gatherings, and events. Nurses can complete the two-day CPR certification process through the American Red Cross.

Pros: While operating as independent tutors, nurses often have online and in-person choices, allowing them to determine their hours and fees. First-aid/CPR instruction provides nurses a swift avenue to earn supplementary income.
Cons: Serving as a tutor or first-aid/CPR instructor can test a nurse’s patience and persistence. Adapting teaching methods and addressing the unique needs of students require effort. Tutoring and instructing first-aid/CPR often occur outside conventional business hours.

7. Adjunct Nursing Educator

An adjunct nurse functions as an educator, overseeing nursing education for a specific school term. They are members of the school faculty, with duties resembling those of clinical nurse educators.

Positions are frequently part-time and occur in settings such as community colleges or clinical training environments. Education departments prefer applicants to hold a bachelor of science in nursing and a valid RN license. Lesson planning is a significant aspect of this role.

Pros: This role empowers nurses to educate the next generation of nurses and could be ideal for retired or practicing nurses seeking supplementary work or complementing other side gigs.
Cons: Nurses without a year of teaching experience might find this side gig less suitable. Balancing adjunct teaching with a full-time nursing position during the academic year can be challenging.

Community Health Nurse Career Overview

8. Private Duty or Home Health Nurse

Home health nurses aid the elderly, ill, or disabled in performing daily tasks at their residences. Although no formal training is required to become a home health nurse, most who take up this side gig fulfill requirements based on their field experience.

However, if the role involves a federally funded agency, a personal care assistance license is mandated by the government. This entails a skills assessment and completion of 75 hours of fieldwork. Homecare nurses can earn roughly $68,000 annually, according to Payscale data from March 2023.

Pros: With the aging population, demand for home health nurses is on the rise. Working as an in-home provider offers greater job autonomy, enabling nurses to choose patients and treatment methods. Homecare nurses also have opportunities for specialization.
Cons: While some nurses appreciate the autonomy, others find that they thrive within a more supportive framework.

9. Camp Nurse

Nurses can secure positions at different types of camps, including day camps, summer camps, and residential camps. Responsibilities encompass administering medical care to campers who sustain injuries or fall ill.

Time commitments range from weekly to monthly, with the majority of camps occurring during the summer. The roles can vary from daytime-only

shifts to mandatory overnight stays. While no specific certifications are usually required, nurses should possess an active license and clinical experience.

Pros: Camp employment exposes nurses to a distinctive setting, suitable for those who prefer non-traditional medical environments.
Cons: For full-time nurses, becoming a camp nurse could entail too substantial a time commitment. Moreover, most opportunities are available solely during the summer, limiting availability.

10. Medical Transcriber

Medical transcribers convert audio recordings from doctors and healthcare professionals into written documents. After examining patients, doctors often record their notes to save time. Becoming a medical transcriber involves some training. Nursing experience is beneficial due to the familiarity with specialized terminology. Nurses can also opt to become registered medical transcriptionists or certified medical transcriptionists, augmenting their qualifications.

Pros: Transcription tasks can be executed remotely with a computer and headset, making it a convenient option. Nurses can work from home and select their working hours.
Cons: The role of a medical transcriber, which is largely sedentary, might contrast with nurses accustomed to hands-on tasks.

11. Nurse Influencer

Nurse influencers concentrate on sharing expert insights in the nursing field. They guide and motivate existing nurses and those aspiring to join the profession. Nurse influencers garner additional income by providing sponsored content, selling advertising space, and reviewing medical equipment.

Pros: Self-employed influencers can create content of personal interest, and their contributions can have a meaningful impact on the medical community. This role offers a sense of accomplishment in shaping medical discourse.
Cons: Although online influencing can be financially rewarding, it demands significant time and effort to attain success. Consistent content creation, audience engagement, and growth are key components.

12. PRN or Per Diem Nurse

Per diem nurses collaborate with staffing agencies or explore job listings to secure temporary employment. Often, these nurses fill in during staff absences due to sick leave, vacations, or unusually high patient admissions. Per diem nurses can assume diverse roles, spanning hospitals, clinics, hospice care, and schools. Nurses are on-call but have the discretion to decline offered shifts.

Pros: Beyond supplemental income, per diem work enables nurses to expand their skill set, gain experience in new specialties or facilities, and exercise greater control over work-life balance.
Cons: Predicting work availability can be challenging, leaving per diem nurses without a guaranteed number of hours. The availability of work hinges on employer demand.

13. Paid Medical Survey Participant

Nurses can leverage their clinical expertise by participating in medical market surveys. Research firms specializing in healthcare conduct studies to facilitate industry comprehension, drawing on panels of nurses, doctors, and other healthcare practitioners to complete surveys.

Nurses with this side gig can register on numerous survey portals and receive compensation for each survey undertaken. Some portals offer payments for registration, while others enable nurses to take surveys via mobile devices and receive payments through PayPal.

Here are three portals to start with:

ZoomRX
MedSurvey
InCrowd

Pros: Participating in paid medical surveys offers a flexible method of earning money with one’s skills.
Cons: Survey availability is unpredictable, and remuneration varies based on the portal. Certain portals may not immediately require individuals with a nursing background.

14. Traveling Phlebotomist

Embark on a journey as a traveling phlebotomist and earn extra income while experiencing new environments. According to ZipRecruiter, this side gig can yield around $35,130 annually.

Traveling phlebotomists can operate in hospital settings, blood banks, nursing homes, and even blood donation events. As a side gig, “traveling” might entail staying closer to home, simplifying the process of verifying licensure requirements with the state board.

A traveling phlebotomist differs from a mobile phlebotomist. While traveling phlebotomists work in hospitals or clinics without being full staff members, mobile phlebotomists make house calls.

Pros: Nurses pursuing the role of a traveling phlebotomist can choose their work location and possibly their schedules.
Cons: Nurses may need to complete continuing education courses to renew their certification for this side gig.

15. Clinical Research Nurse

Clinical research nurses support clinical trials by facilitating communication between volunteer patients and researchers. These nurses monitor patient safety conditions and gather data for the trials. This role is occasionally integrated with that of nurse researchers. Full-time research nurses earn an average salary of about $81,500 annually, based on limited Payscale data from February 2023.

Pros: This side gig enables nurses to engage in clinical trials that could potentially lead to medical breakthroughs directly impacting patient outcomes.
Cons: Compensation quality is linked to the locations where trials are conducted. Urban areas with larger populations may offer higher pay for clinical research nurses.

With their medical training and experience, nurses can select from an array of side gigs to enhance their income. Some of these jobs harmonize with full-time nursing roles, affording flexibility through remote or seasonal work.

Side gigs grant nurses the opportunity to explore other interests. Some of these roles provide substantial compensation, which might even lead nurses to transform these side jobs into primary occupations. By channeling their skills and passions into non-clinical roles, nurses can earn extra income, acquire additional experience, and contribute to the healthcare community.