The 15 Best Side Hustles for Nurses

1. BLS/PALS/ACLS Instructor  

Working as a BLS, PALS, or ACLS instructor is an easy way to earn some extra cash. Instructors are responsible for teaching new certification and recertification classes.

Most jobs require RNs to aquire these certifications, so picking up an instructor role is easy. In addition to your initial certification, you will need to complete an online instructor course.

Then, you'll work with a preceptor to student-teach several classes. Once completed, you will be able to teach on your own.  

• Expected earnings: $32 per hour (ZipRecruiter)
• Requirements: Instructor certification from the American Health Association (AHA), including successful completion of the Instructor Essentials Course and the hands-on sessions with a qualified instructor  

2. Nurse Writer  

With the rise of the internet, online media sources, and laypeople turning to the internet for health and medical advice, writing is becoming an increasingly popular online side job for nurses.

It is a difficult field to break into and can be oversaturated at times. However, nurse writers can work for various online and print publications, depending on your availability, and the schedule is usually extremely flexible.

Read our comprehensive guide on how to become a nurse writer to learn more about getting into this nursing side hustle.

• Expected earnings: $23 per hour (ZipRecruiter)
• Requirements: RN license

3. Vaccine Nurse  

Getting a side gig as a vaccine nurse is an easy way to earn extra cash when your off duty from your staff job. Consider working for a large pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens and administering different vaccines. 

This position will have increased hours, especially during the fall and winter when there is an increased need for influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. 

• Expected earnings: $39 per hour (ZipRecruiter)
• Requirements: Minimum ADN and RN license

4. Nurse/Health Interpreter  

This side hustle might be a little more difficult as it requires proficiency in another language. Ideal for those who are bilingual, a health interpreter may be an easy nursing side hustle for some. 

Healthcare interpreters are in high demand, especially those with a nursing background.  

• Expected earnings: $28 per hour (ZipRecruiter)
• Requirements:  ADN, RN license, Language Proficiency, and completion of required interpretation training

5. Nursing School Tutor 

Tutoring nursing students is an excellent way to pick up extra cash, expecially if you have a firm grasp o the foundations of nursing. You can work for a nursing student tutoring company or offer services independently.

Start by reaching out to local nursing programs or put your information on nursing student Facebook groups! With the increase in online learning, it’s easy to leverage platforms such as Zoom to tutor students from anywhere in the country.

• Expected earnings: $20 per hour (ZipRecruiter)
• Requirements: Minimum ADN and RN license

6. NCLEX-RN Instructor  

Like a nursing school tutor, NCLEX-RN instructors assist aspiring nurses on their paths to success. NCLEX tutors focus specifically on helping students and graduates pass the national examination. 

As an NCLEX tutor, you'll teach students test-taking strategies, discuss how to answer different types of NCLEX questions, provide feedback to practice questions, and create study plans to address brush problem areas.

• Expected earnings: $36 per hour (ZipRecruiter)
• Requirements: Minimum BSN and RN license

7. Itemized Test Writer   

Becoming an test queston writer is one of the best side hustles for nurses. Some nursing programs hire experienced nurses to create practice tests for students, especially NCLEX practice questions. Other companies, such as Kaplan, will hire freelance itemized test writer to develop practice questions for both online and print books.

Depending on your education and experience, you may even be able to obtain a position writing for the NCLEX.

• Expected earnings: $39 per hour (ZipRecruiter)
• Requirements: Minimum MSN and RN license

8. Doula  

Unlike some of the other nursing side hustles, becoming a doula requires additional education and certifications. In this role, you do not work as the bedside nurse during the labor and delivery process. Instead, you directly support mothers to achieve the best birth experience and support their birth plans.

Learn more about what doulas do in our article, Doula vs Midwife: What's the Difference?

• Expected earnings: $24 per hour (ZipRecruiter)
• Requirements: Doula Certification from an accredited institution

9. Health Proofreader/Fact Checker  

Slightly different than nurse writers, health proofreaders and fact checkers are not only essential in the health publishing field, becoming one is also an excellent nursing side hustle. Fact checkers read through other writers' work to ensure the information's accuracy.

Often, individuals behind health-related articles are professional writers who aren't also healthcare workers. As a health proofreader, you add legitimacy to the publication by ensuring factual corrections. Websites and blogs hire nurses as a fact checkers to identify innacuracies in drafts before they go to publish.

• Expected earnings: $28 per hour (ZipRecruiter)
• Requirements: Minimum BSN and RN license

10. Nurse Podcast Host  

Perhaps one of the more difficult side hustle for nurses, being a podcast host has its positives and negatives. This side hustle requires more leg work than others on the list. If being a podcast host is in your future, you will need to have the proper equipment, recording capabilities, and a viewpoint.  

There are countless nurse podcasts currently available, but that doesn’t mean you won’t succeed. Find your niche, volunteer to be a guest on other podcasts to get your feet wet, and understand your audience. This will help you know what content your demographic wants to hear so you know what to produce.

• Expected earnings: $16 per hour (ZipRecruiter)
• Requirements: RN license 

11. Lactation Consultant  

Any nurse can be a lactation consultant, but it does require additional training and certification. Becoming an IBCLC requires not only didactic education but also in-person clinical hours. Responsible for helping new mothers breastfeed and pump, most private lactation consultants can provide at-home or telehealth visits and charge per session.  

Lactation consultants are desperately needed as most first-time breastfeeding moms require some support once discharged from the hospital. More than 80% of babies born each year are breastfed at some point in their life, so this side hustle is a great way to earn some extra cash on your day(s) off.  

• Expected earnings: $42 per hour (ZipRecruiter)
• Requirements: Certification as an IBCLC, CLC, or CBC

12. First Aid Instructor  

Similar to a CPR instructor, a first aid instructor is responsible for teaching basic first aid skills to a class of students. These students seek certification and might be lifeguards, security guards, teachers, or even grandparents. 

After obtaining a teaching certification through the American Red Cross, you are eligible to teach classes. This nursing side hustle will require you to work for an organization rather than as an individual employee, but that also means someone will handle all of the paperwork for your students.  

• Expected earnings: $28 per hour (ZipRecruiter)
• Requirements: Certification from the American Red Cross  

13. Legal Nurse Consultant  

Becoming a legal nurse consultant might seem scary or not a side nursing hustle, but it absolutely can be! For some nurses, this is a full-time career, but others will consult with local law offices to earn some extra cash. Perhaps you are a trailblazer in your nursing specialty, have a specific skill set, or have advanced nursing certifications that would be a perfect fit for a specific case. 

As a legal nurse consultant, you will work closely with a legal team, including lawyers looking over relevant health information and providing insight. You may have to give expert witness testimony in court, depending on the situation. Independent legal consultants can set their own rates, which means the sky’s the limit.  

• Expected earnings: $41 per hour (ZipRecruiter)
• Requirements: Minimum BSN and RN license, Certification encouraged 

14. Nurse Blogger or Influencer  

Similar to a nurse podcast host, this is one of the more difficult nursing side hustles, especially if you are not already well-versed in social media. Becoming a successful blogger/influencer takes time and can be frustrating. You will need to reach out to companies, form partnerships, and follow social media algorithms. 

Some would say this field is oversaturated, but social media and blogs are going to continue to be the go-to places where nurses get information, scrub reviews, and even breaking news. 

• Expected earnings:
  • $36 per hour national average(ZipRecruiter)
  • However, your eanring potential is unlimited and will vary depending on advertisements and sponsorhips
• Requirements: RN license    

15. Camp Nurse   

Becoming a camp nurse is an interesting nurse side hustle. Being a camp nurse might be difficult if you already have a full-time position, but short-term camps or working per diem to fill needs might be a viable option. 

Camp nurses are responsible for caring for campers and the staff during camp days. This can look different depending on the type of camp. It could be a day camp, overnight camp, a camp specific for patients with disabilities, etc.  

Camp nurses are responsible for patients, maintaining camp records, ordering supplies, transporting patients to higher levels of care as needed, and supervising ancillary staff.  

• Expected earnings: $30.59  per hour (PayScale)
• Requirements: Minimum ADN and RN license