Nursing offers various opportunities for earning extra income. But sometimes, it benefits us, even more, to think outside of the traditional nursing box. If, for example, there are minimal chances for picking up extra shifts in your specialty, you may need to look elsewhere. That’s exactly what side hustling is about. And there are many positives to side hustling, it isn’t solely about income. For some of us, our schedules are already overloaded. Side hustling isn’t for everyone, of course. But if you have a little wiggle room—and a lot of desire, you can make it happen.
What Are a Few Unique Aspects of Side Hustling?
A side-hustle is work that you do on the side of your main income stream.
- It’s not just another job.
An important aspect of a side hustle is that it is not a job. It is something you do independent of a traditional workplace. In other words, it’s closer to freelancing or self-employment, and further from a job where you’re on an organization’s payroll.
- It’s flexible.
One of the characteristics of a side hustle is its flexibility. It’s optimal to choose a side hustle that fits well around your work, family, and personal schedules. You likely already have stringent, non-flexible schedules with your work, why add more restrictions to your life?
- It’s enjoyable.
It’s not wise to pick up a side hustle that you don’t enjoy. It will take perseverance and self-motivation to get a side hustle off the ground. Because it’s not a structured job, you will likely need to do your own marketing and actively seek opportunities. Because of this, you want to put the effort into something you enjoy. For example, if you already do not enjoy your full-time job, it is not prudent to start a side hustle that you also do not enjoy.
When you first hear about the concept, you may think it’s the same as picking up extra shifts or any other way to earn income. But the side hustle movement grew out of people’s desire to pursue paid passion projects on the side of their full-time jobs.
So it isn’t just about earning extra income. It’s about doing something you enjoy.
This isn’t to say it is only for those who don’t like nursing. Maybe you love your nursing job, but you also self-care so you start a self-care blog or write a few books about self-care and sell them on the side.
Now for a few examples of side hustles.
Here Are Five Examples of Nursing Side-Hustles
A side hustle can be related to the nursing industry or non-related. But for the purpose of this article, we’ll feature side hustles that are related to nursing.
- Freelance Writing
- Nurse blogging
- Nurse consulting
- Training/teaching (such as CPR instruction)
- Wellness coaching
Tips for Finding the Right Side Hustle for You
The ideal side hustle will be something that fits at the crossroads of the following:
- Something you enjoy doing
- Something there’s a need for (and people will pay for it)
- Something you’re capable of doing well
With those factors in mind, here’s an approach to finding a side hustle that works for you:
- Evaluate your skills. What are capable of doing well? Don’t just think of your nursing skills, think beyond them. For example, you may be a great trainer or good at listening or write well.
- Understand what you enjoy doing. Once you’ve evaluated your skills, you next need to consider which you enjoy.
- What will the market pay for? It’s not enough to discover what you’re good at and what you enjoy. The side hustle you pursue needs to be something there’s a market for. Either clients who are willing to pay or organizations willing to pay for your products or services.
Finding the best nursing side hustle for you may take time. You may also need to tackle it with a trial and error approach, testing to see what will work for your lifestyle and skillset.