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How to Increase Your Income as a Nurse: 6 Tips and Ideas

A career in nursing opens doors to fulfilling roles in various healthcare settings. While the demand for nurses in hospitals remains high, there are also many other ways for nurses to make extra money on the side.

Here, we’ll provide advice about how to increase your income as a nurse – without having to give up your clinical job. From venturing into freelance writing to exploring specialised roles, we have practical tips to help you find the perfect nurse side hustle.

Enter postgraduate study

A postgraduate diploma in advanced nursing opens doors to higher-level positions and leadership roles within the healthcare sector, along with greater financial rewards. 

Specialised skills

After completing postgraduate study like the Graduate Diploma of Health (Advanced Nursing) at Federation University Online, you could qualify for a wider range of positions. Acquiring specialised skills is one of the best ways to enhance your career potential. 

Leadership

Postgraduate studies in nursing can also prepare you for leadership roles such as nurse unit manager. You’ll be involved in managing teams, making strategic decisions, and overseeing broader aspects of healthcare delivery.

Academia

A graduate diploma also prepares you for further education, ultimately leading to high-paying positions in academia. Nurses with advanced degrees have the opportunity to engage in research or teaching roles, and these positions can come with research grants, consulting opportunities, and academic stipends.

Start a nurse side hustle as a tutor

Share your expertise while making more money as a nurse tutor, or an Online Learning Advisor at a university like Federation University Online.

Help students to understand coursework, guide them through assignments, and prepare them to pass exams with flying colours. You can connect globally via online tutoring platforms and set your own hours, making it one of the best side gigs for nurses with varying shifts.

Students come from all backgrounds, not just nursing. You can choose subjects such as anatomy, pharmacology, clinical skills and more – anything that both interests you and meets your students’ needs.

Work part-time as a CPR instructor

Picking up shifts as a CPR instructor can be a great side gig for nurses looking for extra income.

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) instructors educate individuals and groups on first aid and life-saving skills. They demonstrate CPR techniques and guide participants through hands-on practice to ensure they are proficient in performing chest compressions, rescue breaths, and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

Become an immunisation nurse

Immunisation nurses play a vital role in public health by administering vaccines to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

They educate patients and their families about the importance of vaccinations, potential side effects, and maintain and ensure that patients’ immunisation histories are up-to-date.

If your passion is for community health, you can lead outreach programs, organise vaccination clinics and reach a broader population. Working as an immunisation nurse is a convenient side hustle for nurses because demand is seasonal. While travel vaccinations are required year-round, you’ll see more children before the start of the school year, and older populations seek vaccinations around flu season.

Write healthcare blogs as a freelancer

Do you have a way with words? Nurses with writing skills can leverage their medical knowledge to write online content for blogs and websites.

Freelance writing is one of the best side hustles for nurses because of its flexibility. Take on as many projects as you like, work the hours that suit your lifestyle, and increase your income as a nurse.

An advanced degree like a Graduate Diploma in Health (Advanced Nursing) from Federation University Online will equip you with specialised knowledge you need to write about patient care, medical procedures, and healthcare trends. Plus, you’ll learn while you’re on the job. Healthcare is a vast field, and freelance writers can explore a wide range of topics, from mental health and wellness to medical advancements and policy.

A side hustle as a nurse content writer can even turn into a writing career. Building a portfolio of healthcare writing can open doors to opportunities like book deals, speaking engagements, and collaborations with healthcare organisations. 

Become a medical transcriptionist

Medical transcriptionists convert voice-recorded medical reports into written text to be added to patient files. The reports generally include health histories, examination findings, surgical procedures, and other healthcare-related information. 

As a nurse, you’re used to thinking critically, analysing information, and paying close attention to details. These skills are invaluable in medical transcription, especially when dealing with complex medical terminology that could require careful interpretation.

Many transcription jobs are part-time and flexible, making it an ideal way to increase your income as a nurse.

Feeling inspired?

To find out more about our Graduate Diploma of Health (Advanced Nursing) program and other nursing courses at Federation University Online, please get in touch with our helpful Course Consultants .

You can also  apply online today if you’re ready to get started.