FNP working casual as RN?

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Jul 15

As far as supplemental NP gigs (not as an RN) I know of Medicare visits that you can do as a Per Diem. I did it for a short period of time but did not like having to drive to Medicare benficiaries' homes. They are still messaging me if I want to work extra which I think means they still need NP's to cover some dates. Their jobs are posted on LinkedIn.

SbRnpens · Jul 15

I have thought about it and am still considering it although I am uncertain how I feel about going into these peoples homes.

FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP · Jul 15

Yes, some NPs work PT as RNs. If that works well for you, go for it.

You could also consider doing Veterans disability exams, also known as compensation and disability exams. These are physical exams performed on veterans so they can receive the money they are entitled to from the Veterans Administration. You are paid per exam, based on complexity of condition. You set the hours you want to work, any time or day, and most companies will provide you with an office/exam room space and some even provide an assistant. I worked for Veterans Examination Services (VES). It takes awhile to get up to speed, but once you are, this is a nice side gig. The point is to make sure the vets get their money, it is not to try and deny them. It is rewarding to help veterans and you can meet some cool people.

Some other PT NP gigs might be things like working for a weight loss clinic. There are some NP jobs that are PT, even just one day per week.

Best wishes

barcode120x, RN, NP · Jul 22

FullGlass said:

You could also consider doing Veterans disability exams, also known as compensation and disability exams. These are physical exams performed on veterans so they can receive the money they are entitled to from the Veterans Administration. You are paid per exam, based on complexity of condition. You set the hours you want to work, any time or day, and most companies will provide you with an office/exam room space and some even provide an assistant. It is rewarding to help veterans and you can meet some cool people.

I second this wholeheartedly! I also work as medical examiner too but for a much smaller, contracting company but the self scheduling and pay is awesome. I love the interactions with veterans, despite hearing so many disheartening stories, it is very therapeutic in both ways just talking with each other. And yes, you do get that sense of being able to help (hopefully) these veterans get the benefits they deserve. I schedule my self for Saturdays and generally have a full work day schedule and as mentioned already, it honestly adds a pretty chunk of $$$ and funny enough, pays way more than my FT job LOL. The charting is a bit rough to get used to, but after repetition it gets super easy.

Look into some travel gigs like annual wellness exams. Corey mentioned it up above. I did some time with that as well, pretty good pay and essentially self scheduling, but the travel time between patient homes got too frustrating and some homes/areas are very worrisome at times. But money wise and ease of a job, it's pretty good as a side gig.

I know a few PA's that work for mobile wound care companies and they say it's pretty decent pay and pretty straightforward work and charting. Something to consider.

I do have a friend that has her FNP and is still working for Kaiser because it just pays so well. She initially tried the wellness visits and the VA gig with me, but it just wasn't her thing and I think right now, she's kind of settled back into the RN role at Kaiser because of the pay. Having been off the floor for 2+ years and in the "clinician" role, I definitely could never set foot in bedside care again as a nurse. It's not that I'm all high heels because I'm an NP nor do I think bedside nursing is below me, but I just moved on from that career for the better and have no interest in going back, even if it could pay better. I did my time of physical labor haha.