Side Job

[NurseK12]

Hello, Friends! I recently made the move to School Nursing from bedside. I absolutely love my new role and the hours to spend with my 9 month old;However, I’m feeling the $18,000 salary difference. Any ideas for ways to use my degree to supplement the income? I really don’t want to pick up a bedside PRN job. TIA!

[k1p1ssk, BSN, RN]

I've considered trying to get into legal consulting, and there are courses floating around for that, but I worry that it will be more work than I can commit to... 

I have a second job at a private boarding school, so it is kinda a combo of bedside, school, and outpatient primary care. My base schedule is one weekend per month and this year I added on every other Monday evening. It's nice because I still get most weekends off and the school is closed for the major holidays and summe, and there's always opportunities to pick up extra shifts.  

[Eleven011]

I've had several different side jobs over the years.   For 3 years, I was the supervising nurse for a small assisted living facility.   I could do my work in the evening or on weekends and the administrator took care of things during the work day.    At other times, I was PRN at a local nursing home.   I would pick up about one weekend a month, then fill in for vacations in the Summer time.   I took a break from side jobs when Covid hit, mainly because of all the extra work at the school, I was exhausted!  But also I didn't want the extra exposure and some places had a "only one healthcare job" rule.     But this Summer I'll be back looking for something again!  

[LikeTheDeadSea, MSN, RN]

PRN pediatric homecare. (I hold a hard boundary that I'll pick up random weekend days / weekend call outs for the families I am oriented to.  I won't commit to an every other weekend schedule or any type of rotation.)

I work at a residential Summer camp, as I haven't wanted summers off and that's usually in the $10k ballpark. I've done extended school year programs, too, to a similar $. 

[DeRob210]

I agree with the comment regarding pediatric home health nursing. As an RN you can make quite a good bit of money extra.

You can pretty much pick how often you want to work. You don't have to commit to a schedule unless that's what you want. 

You could just commit to something as little as one Saturday or Sunday per month or one whole weekend per month.

In my area an experienced RN should ballpark around $40 to $45 per hour.

Don't let them low ball you. These companies bill out at upwards of $65 or more per hour. Every shift they don't fill they are losing the whole $65. 

They can either give you a fair portion of that $65 or lose the whole $65. Go in negotiating with that mindset. Be willing to walk away if the amount offered isn't fair. Generally speaking, they will offer higher. They would rather lose a bit than to lose the whole $65. 

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

k1p1ssk said:

I've considered trying to get into legal consulting, and there are courses floating around for that, but I worry that it will be more work than I can commit to... 

You don't need the classes or certification to be a legal nurse consultant. I do it occasionally,  just by virtue of knowing lawyers in my town. They are looking for years of experience and knowing expectations for documentation vs taking classes. The 3 or 4 nurses that I personally know that took classes and got certification have never had 1 case regarding LNC. Get to know lawyers in your area and open the doors that way, save your money!

[Schoolhealthrocks]

I have started a health writer freelance business on the side, which I love. I got started with the RN2Writer Program. Elizabeth Hanes is a wonderful coach.

https://www.rn2writer.com/

I'm a school nurse as well.