Side business besides being a nurse?

santhony44, MSN, RN, NP · Aug 27, 2007

I have a booth in a little antiques/collectibles shop. It doesn't really make any money, just enough to keep itself going. That's OK since it's purpose for me is basically therapeutic.

Digging around thrift shops, garage sales, etc and then arranging things for resale is fun and relaxing for me. I think it expresses a side of me not expressed in nursing.

My husband and I are starting to think about a "real" business in the future, probably along those same lines, for our retirement/semiretirement.

Finding a lost Picasso or something wouldn't hurt my feelings any either, but right now the money's not the object. Not that there's anything wrong with being in business and making lots of money!!

Annebug · Aug 27, 2007

I still work a bit in my pre-nursing career. Granted, I don't do it often, but I still do human resources projects on a consultant basis. I think variety is wonderful! (And choices : )

AliRae · Aug 27, 2007

I'm a photographer on the side. I work with critically ill kids, and it's so therapeutic for me to get to go out there and hang with healthy, normal kiddos on my off days. In fact, I'm headed to a shoot right now!

scattycarrot, BSN, RN · Aug 27, 2007

Personally no but where I worked previosly quite a few of the nurses and other employees were all farmers. Obviously, it was a rural area and it was great for buying local produce!

jennyfyre · Aug 27, 2007

I am not a nurse, but a unit coordinator... and for the last ten years, I also worked as a server at a bowling alley. It certainly balanced the stress of the hospital. Absolutely no one die if I brought the wrong beer! It was great money while the kids were in school and gave me lots of social interaction that was fun, rather than serious. Most of my customers also use the same health care system and look me up when their loved ones are hospitalized. It helps them to know that someone they know cares. I also have fun with patients who wander into the bowling alley and notice me. Now I've "retired" from serving and bowl with the men's league I served for so long. It's great to have fun, and I don't think I've ever purchased a drink for myself.

oramar · Aug 27, 2007

Have had friends that put time in established family business on the side and did fine. The friends that had problems were ones that worked full time as nurses and tried to start business on side from scratch. In every case it ended in disaster. Not to say that it couldn't be done, just that it must be difficult.

CHATSDALE · Aug 28, 2007

i know a nurse who worked her way thru school being a bartender and she still works weekends she appears to be doing very good..not married. no kids, lives in a condo

i know a nurse who trains dogs on his off days..really works with his brother who does it full time

also another nurse who sells cars, works with a delivery [packages not babies] does home repair like small paint jobs etc wife is a sahm with two kids

zenman · Aug 28, 2007

I do Zen Shiatsu and shamanic healing. This is my last year as a nurse (34 years) and I'll be doing the fun stuff only.:balloons:

gentle · Aug 28, 2007

I teach on the side. Now granted it's my child--I am a sahm who happens to homeschool--but, I've noticed that it helps both my little guy and myself somehow. Both of us have a more content soul that is carrying over into other areas of our lives.

I put this in because, this is a side "job" so to speak. I also have other responsibilities but all are for pleasure rather than money.

Jo Dirt · Aug 28, 2007

Real estate. We have a 5 acre building lot and when our lives are more stable we want to build a house on it (do 90% of the work ourselves) and sell it.

Building and selling houses on speculation is what my husband used to do for a living and he was pretty good at it so we are hoping to get back into that pretty soon.