Nurses Helping Nurses Build Businesses They Love Feat. Sharon Burch

Feb 16

Nurses thrive as natural innovators and always find creative ways to solve problems. But what if you could use those same skills to create something entirely new that still positively impacts people while building a freedom-filled alternative nursing career for yourself — a business rooted in nursing expertise but free from the constraints of traditional healthcare?

That’s exactly what Sharon Burch discovered when she took her first steps into nurse entrepreneurship. But she never set out to be an entrepreneur. In fact, like many nurses, she started her career with a deep commitment to patient care, believing that bedside nursing was the only path for someone with a passion for healing. But life had other plans.

Her journey from holistic nurse to business mentor was anything but linear. It was filled with unexpected discoveries, bold decisions, and the realization that nurses — especially those seeking an alternative nursing career — needed more than just passion…they needed a roadmap.

So what started as an unexpected detour — learning about what it means to be a holistic nurse — became a lifelong pursuit of blending nursing, business, and education in a way that changed her career and paved the way for countless others.

Today, through her Liberated Nurse Business Development Community, Sharon helps other nurses navigate the often overwhelming world of nurse entrepreneurship, guiding them in building sustainable businesses that align with their values and expertise.

Sharon’s journey is a testament to the limitless possibilities in nursing. When you step beyond the conventional nursing path, you open the door to an alternative nursing career that’s not only fulfilling but entirely your own. So if you’ve ever felt called to do something different, her story might just be the inspiration you need.

Here’s her story.

The Journey to Becoming a Nurse who Helps Nurses Step Into Entrepreneurship

A Holistic Nurse at Heart

Sharon has been a holistic nurse since the 1970s, long before the term was widely recognized. She has always believed in a more integrated approach to healing than conventional healthcare, one that considers the whole person rather than just symptoms. She believes that self-care isn’t a luxury but a necessity, not only for patients but also for nurses.

Her first steps into nurse entrepreneurship came unexpectedly. A friend gave her a Trager bodywork session, and she was so profoundly moved by the experience that she decided to learn it herself. What started as a personal interest quickly evolved into something more — thus, she began her journey to an alternative nursing career as a holistic nurse.

“I thought I would learn it to help my family and friends,” she recalls, “not knowing it was going to lead me on an entrepreneurial path.”

At the time, she worked full-time as the Director of Nursing at a long-term care facility. But soon, she started seeing personal clients on the side, practicing holistic healing through massage therapy and energy work. The work was more fulfilling than she ever expected it to be. It gave her a glimpse of something she hadn’t considered before — a way to care for herself and others on her own terms, outside the constraints of conventional healthcare.

The First Leap into Business

Sharon’s career took a real turn when she attended a Therapeutic Touch conference. There, she met Barbara Dossey (a pioneer in holistic nursing) and a community of practitioners who shared her vision. It was also where she met the man who would later become her husband.

A move from Indiana to Kansas followed, and with it, a new chapter. Together, she and her husband built a massage therapy clinic in a medical building attached to a hospital. They weren’t just running a small practice — they were breaking new ground and learning lessons along the way. Physicians started referring patients to them, and soon, doctors were writing orders for massage and therapeutic touch at the bedside.

This was the late 1980s, a time when alternative therapies weren’t widely accepted in clinical settings. Yet, their clinic thrived. The demand was there. The patients benefited. And crucially, Sharon saw firsthand how her nursing background gave her credibility in spaces where holistic practices were still viewed with skepticism.

But business ownership wasn’t always easy.

“We were creating a culture that was friendly to therapeutic touch and massage,” she says. “But we were also learning as we went.”

Eventually, she and her husband decided to move to another town, selling their successful clinic to colleagues. It was a pivotal moment. She had built something from the ground up, seen it flourish, and walked away with new skills, knowing she could (and would) do it all over again.

Becoming an Educator and Author

While working in hands-on healing, Sharon opened her focus to include education. She had been teaching pathology for massage therapists and bodyworkers at the local community college, but she noticed a glaring gap — there was no textbook for the subject she had spent years mastering.

So she wrote one.

Her book, Recognizing Health and Illness, became a widely adopted resource in massage schools across the country. But she didn’t stop there. She turned it into a continuing education (CE) course, providing home-study nursing CE long before online learning was commonplace.

This was when she discovered another key to nurse entrepreneurship — diversification. She had multiple income streams: massage therapy, teaching, publishing, and CE course development. She saw firsthand how different types of businesses could support an alternative nursing career and a life she loved living.

But she also learned something else: not all business advice was created for nurses.

Why Nurses Need Business Education Tailored for Them

As Sharon’s reputation grew, nurses began seeking her out for guidance. Many were drawn to holistic nursing, coaching, and consulting, but they felt lost when it came to the business side of things (as so many of us do).

But Sharon quickly realized that generic business advice doesn’t always apply to nurses — and in some cases, it can be outright dangerous.

“We have a nursing license, and we have to respect that license,” she explains. “A lot of business programs don’t take that into account, and I’ve seen nurses unknowingly put themselves at risk.”

One of the biggest hurdles she saw was fear. Many nurses had the drive and the skills to start their journey into nurse entrepreneurship, but they worried they’d make a mistake that could cost them their license.

“I meet so many nurses who have one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake. They want to move forward, but they don’t know if they’re doing it right… and my belief is that if we're going to have a sustainable business, we need to bring our whole self along for the ride.”

That’s why Sharon created the Liberated Nurse Business Incubator — a program specifically designed to help nurses step into entrepreneurship and build businesses with confidence, clarity, and structure.

Inside the Liberated Nurse Business Incubator

Sharon’s business incubator is more than just a business course for nurses — it’s a comprehensive mentorship program that supports nurses at every step of their business journey.

It’s built around three core principles:

Understanding Your Scope: Nurses must align their business with the Nurse Practice Act to ensure they operate legally.
Following the Developmental Stages of Business: Following the milestones in each stage of nurse entrepreneurship will allow you to build a successful, sustainable business in the long run.
Personalized Coaching: The business incubator provides self-paced education, group coaching, and one-on-one mentorship, ensuring that nurses get the tailored support they need.

Sharon doesn’t believe in “just take the leap” or “just follow your passion” business advice. Instead, she emphasizes small, strategic steps that build confidence and prevent costly mistakes.

“It’s best to take small steps and test as you go,” she says. “I’ve taken leaps that were too big for me, and I’ve seen other nurses do the same thing. It’s not necessary.”

The incubator helps nurses move through the first four stages of business development:

Stage 0: Preparing mentally, legally, and financially for business ownership.
Stage 1: Proving your idea by testing a pilot offer, then stabilizing your income until it reaches about $3,000/month in net profit.
Stage 2: On the strength of Stage 1’s foundation, growing your network and income until it reaches $80-$100K/year in net profit.
Stage 3: Scaling the strength of Stage 2 by building a dynamic team and expanding services until net profit reaches up to $1M/year.

Unlike other programs that operate on fixed timelines, Sharon’s business incubator supports nurses as long as it takes them to reach stage one success.

A New Era for Nurse Entrepreneurship

Sharon has lived through multiple business evolutions — from hands-on healing to education, publishing, consulting, and now business mentorship. She’s built and sold businesses, worked in both for-profit and nonprofit sectors, and navigated the challenges that come with transitioning out of bedside care.

Her mission is clear: help nurses step into entrepreneurship with confidence without compromising their license, values, or well-being.

If you’re a nurse looking for an alternative nursing career, if you’re dreaming of building a business you love, and if you’re drawn to coaching, consulting, or holistic healing but don’t know where to start — this is the roadmap you’ve been looking for.

Learn more about the Liberated Nurse Business Incubator and Sharon’s free resources at www.liberatednurse.com.

Sharon Burch, MSN, RN, APRN, PHCNS-BC, APHN-BC, HWNC-BC, is an expert in holistic business development for nurses with a knack for connecting research, theory, and real life. A nurse entrepreneur since 1984, Sharon has been an approved holistic continuing nursing education provider since the mid-1990s and pioneered selling CNE courses online. She co-owned a successful hospital-based massage therapy group practice and was the founding director of two nonprofit organizations. Sharon has studied with many of the world’s top online business mentors and translated their practices into entrepreneurial nursing practices. Today, Sharon directs Liberated Nurse, where her team shows nurse coaches, consultants, and holistic healers how to grow thriving businesses they love.