Side business ideas for nurses

Nurses General Nursing

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I have an idea for a side business that I'm considering. I'm shifting to a two day a week job, keeping Per Diem at my old facility, and am also considering starting a side business, using my RN as a credential that would give me credibility.

I'm thinking of buying an 8 passenger van with a wheelchair lift and conducting day trips in the area, concentrating, but not limited to, marketing to the retired demographic. I'm thinking wine tours, microbreweries, antiquing, small mountain tourist areas.

What do you think? It would probably be a one woman operation.

I'd love to hear the allnurses membership share their side business ideas as well!

Specializes in Behavioral Health.
Because baking is chemistry that's good for the soul!

I'm going to open up a bakery and a gym. Buy something from one, get a discount for the other.

A friend of mine had the idea to start a business called "Resolutions," that started as a gym on New Years Day, stayed that way for about a month, and then slowly turned into a coffee shop or a bar and stayed that way for the rest of the year.

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Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Public Health.

If I had the property (I'm working on it), I'd have a duck farm....we have 8 ducks and 2 geese right now and something tells me we are going to have to move by next spring:)

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For some reason half the nurses I know - across two states and three hospitals - talk about opening a bakery. I'm not sure why that's common.

I have been to most hospitals from Texas to Idaho all the way to the California coast.

If I have learned anything about nurses it is that nurses LOVE FOOD! :p

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I used to insert PIVs, midlines, and PICCs for nursing homes, rehab facilities, and LTACHs on the side. Made about $100 per PIV and $150-$220 per midline or PICC.

Walking into a large rehab facility and having six nurses come up to me asking me if I can put in this line or that line was just...awesome. I sometimes would go place lines on my lunch break at the hospital and run to some of the nearby nursing homes. It was amazing making more money in 30 minutes than I did at the hospital in 12 hours.

I knew a group of nurses that worked at a BDSM shop on the side giving piercings and infusing saline in the genitals and/or breasts. They made pretty good money doing that.

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Specializes in ER, Med/Surg, Telemetry, Dialysis.
What exactly is a hair wrap?

The coffee stand on the ground floor of my building was closed by the health department (NBD, I only got coffee there everyday for two years), and now all anyone talks about is when is the coffee stand opening again? So, a recent plan was to get a coffee cart on wheels, like the hot dog carts in NY, and just roll it up outside and watch the money pile up. Nursing students/faculty drink a lot of coffee.

This is a hair wrap 😁

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Well now I'm just curious---closed by the health dept WHY?!

What exactly is a hair wrap?

The coffee stand on the ground floor of my building was closed by the health department (NBD, I only got coffee there everyday for two years), and now all anyone talks about is when is the coffee stand opening again? So, a recent plan was to get a coffee cart on wheels, like the hot dog carts in NY, and just roll it up outside and watch the money pile up. Nursing students/faculty drink a lot of coffee.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

WHA?! (in my best minion voice)

I used to insert PIVs, midlines, and PICCs for nursing homes, rehab facilities, and LTACHs on the side. Made about $100 per PIV and $150-$220 per midline or PICC.

Walking into a large rehab facility and having six nurses come up to me asking me if I can put in this line or that line was just...awesome. I sometimes would go place lines on my lunch break at the hospital and run to some of the nearby nursing homes. It was amazing making more money in 30 minutes than I did at the hospital in 12 hours.

I knew a group of nurses that worked at a BDSM shop on the side giving piercings and infusing saline in the genitals and/or breasts. They made pretty good money doing that.

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I've always wanted to start my own bakery business!! It would be awesome to open the bakery 3 days a week (Thurs and Fri from 10a-5p, and Sat 10a-2p), and work Monday and Tuesday from 7a-3p in an outpatient setting (cardiac, endoscopy, research, or ambulatory surgery, for example). I'd also like to work PRN in a hospital (maybe ICU or OR) to keep up my skills!

Now that would be the life! :)

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Specializes in LTC & home care.
When I am a nurse, I would like to sell/donate the scarves and many other things I crochet and knit. It's relaxing for me, and I do make some wonderful pieces, if I do say do myself. Anyone need a scarf? ;)

If you're serious, I have a few suggestions...

1. Contact your local LTC facility and talk to the activities director. Some residents may have no family, no visitors, etc. and holidays are heartbreaking. Activities staff love receiving gifts that they can wrap up and give to these residents for Christmas, birthdays, etc. so they don't feel completely forgotten.

2. One year we collected scarves, mittens, etc. and donated them to My Sister's Place (charity to assist domestic violence victims and children). Some victims leave home literally with the clothes on their back and nothing else.

3. Homeless shelters. Bonus points if you can make socks, because those can be used year round.

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If you're serious, I have a few suggestions...

1. Contact your local LTC facility and talk to the activities director. Some residents may have no family, no visitors, etc. and holidays are heartbreaking. Activities staff love receiving gifts that they can wrap up and give to these residents for Christmas, birthdays, etc. so they don't feel completely forgotten.

2. One year we collected scarves, mittens, etc. and donated them to My Sister's Place (charity to assist domestic violence victims and children). Some victims leave home literally with the clothes on their back and nothing else.

3. Homeless shelters. Bonus points if you can make socks, because those can be used year round.

Thank you for that information. Yes, I actually do have some scarves/blankets/hats that I've made that I'm collecting to make a donation. I'll look into those facilities and organizations!

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Specializes in retired LTC.
Because baking is chemistry that's good for the soul!

Full time nursing today is a killer and I don't believe it's going to last much longer in its current practice form for much too longer. The new generation of nurses don't seem as passionately dedicated to all the strife, grief, and sacrifice that exists today (and I think that's GOOD!).

Nursing will still be needed but prob delivered more on a part-time or abbreviated work schedule model by the newer work force. That would allow more nurses more opportunities to pursue alternative outlets for pursuing self-employment/entrepreneurial/life-long dream efforts.

Having said all that, I'd like to start some type of gracious, old-timey tea-room service business. (Not quite a Starbucks franchise activity.) TEA's something new that I've just become interested in. 'Taking TEA' appeals therapeutically to the aesthetic soul and like baking, that's a nurturing outlet. Very apropos for a nursing personality. Like art & music & literature & the theatre.

I like OP's idea. When I first read the post, I thought - where do I sign up?!?! I would modify it though to include some of the finer aspects of a tea service. People do like fine food and being elegantly served by someone also makes the experience 'something special'. There would also be the chance to 'dress up fancy'.

To OP - go for something you like!.

FWIW, I wouldn't push the 'NURSE' thing too much. As others commented, there'd be liability (and could you be considered a modified health transportation services requiring DOH regulations with inspections?). Also someone could be expecting you to be an actual caregiver provider for someone's incontinent nanna - afterall, they are paying you like a PDN.

Good luck.

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.
Well now I'm just curious---closed by the health dept WHY?!

They had a sink that had water running to it but no drain. The sink was used to pour out extra milk, rinse utensils, pour out extra espresso, etc., and emptied into a bucket that had to be emptied several times per day.

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