Hello friends. Welcome back to my blog. I am a pharmacy director working in an acute care hospital in southern CA. One of my favorite parts about my job is I get to work with nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Doctors, and many other professionals on a daily basis. Nurses are some of the hardest workers and most driven individuals in the field: 12-hour shifts, administering meds, and taking care of patients,… And yet, almost all of them have at least one side gig. Let’s explore what sort of side hustle nurses can get in to make extra money.
As a nurse, there are several ways to make extra money beyond your regular nursing job. Here are some ideas to consider:
Per Diem or Agency Nursing
You can work on a per diem or agency basis, which allows you to pick up shifts at various healthcare facilities on a flexible schedule. These positions often pay higher hourly rates than full-time positions.
Here are some well-known per diem and nursing agencies that can help you find nursing jobs:
- Aya Healthcare: Aya Healthcare is a popular travel nursing agency that offers per diem and travel assignments across the United States. They work with a wide range of healthcare facilities and provide various benefits to their nurses.
- FlexCare Medical Staffing: FlexCare specializes in travel nursing but also offers per diem assignments. They have a strong reputation for providing competitive pay and benefits.
- NurseChoice: NurseChoice, a division of AMN Healthcare, offers per diem and travel nursing opportunities. They have a wide network of healthcare facilities and provide support for various nursing specialties.
- Fastaff: Fastaff primarily focuses on rapid response travel nursing, but they also offer per diem assignments. They are known for providing high pay rates for their nurses.
- American Mobile Healthcare: American Mobile Healthcare offers per diem and travel nursing opportunities. They have a large selection of nursing jobs across the United States.
Travel Nursing
If you enjoy traveling, you can become a travel nurse. Travel nurses work temporary assignments in different locations, often with higher pay rates and housing provided.
Generally speaking, travel nurses tend to earn higher salaries than permanent staff nurses because they receive compensation packages that include base pay, housing stipends, meal allowances, and other benefits.
Here are some key points to consider when comparing travel nurse pay to staff nurse pay in California:
- Base Pay: Travel nurses typically receive a higher base pay rate than permanent staff nurses. This is because they are often brought in to fill critical staffing shortages and are compensated accordingly.
- Housing Stipends: Travel nurses may receive housing stipends to cover the cost of housing while on assignment. This can vary depending on the cost of living in the assignment location. California, particularly in areas like San Francisco and Los Angeles, has a high cost of living, so housing stipends can be substantial.
- Meal Allowances: Travel nurses may also receive meal allowances to cover daily food expenses.
- Bonuses: Some travel nursing agencies offer sign-on bonuses, completion bonuses, or referral bonuses, which can increase a nurse’s overall compensation.
- Overtime Pay: Travel nurses may have the opportunity to earn overtime pay, which can significantly boost their earnings.
- Healthcare Benefits: Travel nursing agencies often provide healthcare benefits, which can include medical, dental, and vision insurance.
- Retirement Benefits: Some agencies offer retirement benefits, such as 401(k) plans with employer contributions.
- Tax Considerations: Travel nurses need to be aware of tax implications, especially when working in California. The state has its income tax, which can impact the take-home pay of travel nurses.
To provide specific hourly wage comparisons, it’s crucial to consider the current market conditions and the exact location where the nurse plans to work. Hourly pay rates for travel nurses can range from $30 to $100 or more per hour, depending on the factors mentioned above.
Specialty Certifications
Earning specialty certifications can significantly enhance a nurse’s qualifications and potentially lead to increased earning potential. Specialty certifications demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills in a specific area of nursing, making nurses more valuable to employers.
Here are some specialty certifications that can help nurses improve their salary:
- Certified Critical Care Nurse (CCRN): This certification is for nurses working in critical care settings such as intensive care units (ICUs) and can lead to higher pay due to the advanced skills and knowledge required in these areas.
- Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN): Emergency room nurses who obtain this certification can often command higher salaries due to their specialized expertise in emergency care.
- Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN): Pediatric nurses who earn this certification can see salary increases as they become experts in caring for children.
- Certified Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA): Nurse anesthetists are among the highest-paid nursing professionals, thanks to their advanced training and responsibilities in administering anesthesia.
- Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM): Certified nurse-midwives provide specialized care to expectant mothers, and their unique skills can lead to competitive salaries.
- Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP): Nurse practitioners who specialize in areas such as acute care, family practice, or psychiatric-mental health often earn higher salaries compared to generalist nurse practitioners.
- Certified Nurse Informatics (CNIO): Nurses specializing in healthcare informatics can leverage their expertise to work in healthcare technology roles, which may offer competitive salaries.
- Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR): Perioperative nurses, also known as operating room nurses, can benefit from this certification, which demonstrates their expertise in surgical nursing.
- Certified Wound Care Nurse (CWCN): Nurses specializing in wound care can enhance their salary by demonstrating expertise in wound management and healing.
- Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE): Nurses who become certified diabetes educators can work with patients to manage diabetes, a growing healthcare concern, and may receive increased compensation for their specialized knowledge.
- Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN): Nurses working in rehabilitation settings can earn higher salaries with this certification, which signifies expertise in rehab nursing.
- Certified Nurse in Infection Control (CIC): Infection control nurses are crucial, especially during disease outbreaks. This certification can lead to salary enhancements.
Home Healthcare
You can work in home healthcare, which often pays well and offers flexibility. You might care for patients in their homes or provide private duty nursing.
The main difference between a “normal” or staff nurse and a home health nurse lies in their work settings and the patient populations they serve.
Here’s an overview of the distinctions:
| Staff Nurse (Hospital or Healthcare Facility) | Home Health Nurse (Home Care Nurse) | |
| Work Setting | Staff nurses typically work in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, or other healthcare facilities. They provide care to patients who are admitted to these facilities for medical treatment, surgery, or other healthcare needs | Home health nurses, on the other hand, provide healthcare services to patients in their own homes. They travel to patients’ residences to deliver care. |
| Patient Population | Staff nurses care for a wide range of patients with various medical conditions. They may work in different departments or units within a healthcare facility, such as medical-surgical, intensive care, maternity, or pediatrics, depending on their specialty and training. | Home health nurses primarily work with patients who require ongoing medical care, monitoring, or assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) in a home setting. Patients can include individuals recovering from surgery, managing chronic illnesses, or receiving end-of-life care. |
| Shifts | Staff nurses often work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays, to provide 24/7 care to patients in healthcare facilities. | Home health nurses often have more flexible schedules than staff nurses in healthcare facilities. They may work weekdays during regular hours but can also include evenings and weekends, depending on patient needs. |
| Roles and Responsibilities | Staff nurses assess patients, administer medications, provide treatments, monitor vital signs, collaborate with other healthcare professionals, and educate patients and families about their conditions and care plans. They work as part of a larger healthcare team. | Home health nurses perform assessments, administer medications, provide wound care, monitor the progress of patients, and educate patients and their families on self-care. They often work independently and must have strong communication and assessment skills. Home health nurses also focus on teaching patients and caregivers to manage their health conditions at home. |
Telehealth Nursing
Some companies hire nurses to provide telehealth services, which can be done from the comfort of your own home. This is especially relevant in a post-pandemic world with increased demand for remote healthcare services. To apply for telehealth nursing positions, you can explore various job search platforms and websites, as well as contact healthcare organizations that offer telehealth services.
Here are some places where you can look for telehealth nursing job opportunities:
Telehealth Service Providers: Explore opportunities with companies and organizations that specialize in telehealth services. These providers often hire telehealth nurses to work with their clients. Examples include:
Telehealth Staffing Agencies: Some staffing agencies specialize in healthcare and telehealth staffing. They can help you find telehealth nursing positions that match your qualifications and preferences. Examples of such agencies include:
- Triage Staffing
- VocoVision
- Aya Healthcare (offers telehealth positions)
- Maxim Healthcare Services
Education and Training
If you have expertise in a specific nursing area, you could teach or offer training sessions to other nurses. This could be done through workshops, online courses, or at local healthcare institutions.
Clinical Research
Participating in clinical research studies as a research nurse is a rewarding and important role that requires specific qualifications and skills. These roles often come with additional compensation and the opportunity to contribute to medical advancements.
One of the steps to become a research nurse and get involved in clinical research studies is to pursue additional education or certifications related to clinical research, such as certification as a Clinical Research Professional (CRP) through organizations like the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA) or the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP).
Medical Transcription
If you have strong typing skills and medical knowledge, you can work as a medical transcriptionist, converting audio recordings of medical notes into written documents. If you are interested in medical transcription or healthcare documentation jobs, you can explore opportunities in medical transcription or healthcare documentation services.
Some hospitals and healthcare facilities hire medical transcriptionists or healthcare documentation specialists to transcribe and document medical records. Check their career pages for job openings. Consider joining professional organizations related to medical transcription or healthcare documentation, such as the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI). These organizations may provide job listings and networking opportunities.
