Profitable Business Ideas for Nurses and Nurse Practitioners
Are you a nurse or nurse practitioner looking to venture into the world of entrepreneurship?
With the ever-evolving healthcare industry, there are numerous opportunities for nurses and nurse practitioners to start their own purpose-driven businesses, impact the communities they’re passionate about, and even change the world.
Nurse-owned businesses are popping up everywhere because those nurses finally realized they can leverage their nursing experience and knowledge to jump in and ride the entrepreneurial train.
Are you ready to do the same?
If you’re ready to take the plunge into entrepreneurship, keep reading to discover the best business ideas for nurses and nurse practitioners in 2024.
Let’s Explore The Most Profitable Business Ideas for Nurses and Nurse Practitioners:
1 | Aesthetic Medical Spa
Have an eye for aesthetic nursing? Because you can totally use your nursing experience to help patients achieve their desired aesthetic goals while prioritizing their safety and well-being.
This is quite possibly one of the best business opportunities for nurses and nurse practitioners, especially, because your nursing background can be leveraged to develop welcoming, supportive, and evidence-based care for your clients.
The field of medical aesthetics has experienced significant growth, from $18.6 billion in 2023 to $21.3 billion in 2024, with more people seeking non-surgical cosmetic procedures to enhance their appearance.
Nurses and nurse practitioners looking for profitable nursing businesses can tap into this lucrative market by offering medical aesthetics and cosmetic procedures in their own private practices or in collaboration with other healthcare professionals. (Think Botox injections, dermal fillers, laser treatments, and skincare consultations.)
But just FYI, this business idea will likely require collaboration with a physician to purchase medical equipment, onboard qualified staff members, and potentially consult on the care you provide for your clients. And while this wholly depends on state regulations, some states allow nurse practitioners to run their own med spa independently.
(Just be sure to research the laws in your state to find out more!)
NURSE-OWNED BUSINESSES:2 | Primary Care or Mental Health Practice
Primary care or mental health practice is a great profitable nursing business idea that allows nurse practitioners to play a central role in healthcare delivery and fosters collaborative relationships with other healthcare professionals.
BUT. You have to take into account which states allow you to practice to the fullest extent as a nurse practitioner. If you’re in a state that greatly restricts how you can practice, you will have to partner with a doctor to run your private practice. And even if you’re a nurse without an advanced degree, you can still be the business owner of a private practice — you’ll just have to collaborate with a physician to care for patients.
Nurse practitioner-led clinics and primary care practices have noticeably gained more recognition in recent years as innovative models of healthcare delivery. By establishing your own clinic, or partnering with other nurse practitioners or medical professionals, you can practice at the top of your license, diagnosing and treating common illnesses, prescribing medications, ordering diagnostic tests, and providing ongoing care for chronic conditions.
If you're passionate about providing high-quality, patient-centered care that addresses the unique needs of individuals and promotes preventive health measures, this might be one of the best nurse practitioner business ideas you should think about.
NURSE-OWNED BUSINESSES:3 | IV Hydration Clinic
IV hydration therapy is a medical procedure that involves delivering fluids containing water, salts, sugar, and nutrients directly into a patient's veins through an intravenous catheter. While traditionally used to treat dehydration, IV hydration therapy can also manage electrolyte imbalances and provide nutrition to patients who cannot eat or drink orally.
But here's the exciting part (and why this is one of the most lucrative business ideas for nurses and nurse practitioners):
In recent years, IV hydration therapy has become a hugely popular way to replenish electrolytes in athletes, celebrities, and on social media for health promotion or to rehydrate quickly after a night of drinking. Of course, this is another business idea for nurses that will likely require collaboration with a physician. So, make sure to do your research on your state’s requirements before getting started.
As a nurse entrepreneur looking for the right business opportunity, you could tap into this growing trend and offer IV hydration therapy as a service to clients who want to improve their overall health, recover from a hangover, or boost their athletic performance. It's a unique and potentially high-paying business idea that could leverage your medical expertise and help you transition from bedside nursing to entrepreneurship.
NURSE-OWNED BUSINESSES:4 | Legal Nurse Consulting
The healthcare industry is complex and prone to errors (oooh, don’t we know it? 😭). But have you thought of how you can carry over your extensive medical knowledge and clinical experience to offer specialized medical and legal consulting services?
A nurse or nurse practitioner in a medical or legal consulting role provides medical expertise to attorneys and other legal personnel for medical malpractice cases or similar cases involving a medical provider. You can offer your insights on clinical protocols, patient care standards, healthcare policies, and more.
You might review medical records, develop medical chronologies, provide research pertaining to patient care, and work directly with attorneys to prepare medical malpractice cases. Preparing testimonies and making court appearances as an expert witness are also a unique part of this role that you choose to do or not.
By starting a medical or legal consulting business, nurses and nurse practitioners can contribute to improving healthcare outcomes on a broader scale and have a significant impact on the industry. Hiring other nurses and nurse practitioners can also open up further opportunities to expand your consulting business on a grander scale.
NURSE-OWNED BUSINESSES:5 | Home Health Agency
As the population ages and the demand for home healthcare services grows, nurses and nurse practitioners can capitalize on this opportunity by starting their own home healthcare businesses.
Typically, home healthcare services can include administering medications, monitoring vital signs, managing chronic conditions, and providing basic medical care. Services can also include support with daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, and meal preparation.
Home health will likely require clinical experience, especially if you provide all the care yourself. You’ll also need to be knowledgeable about nursing procedures, compliance regulations, and medical technology and be able to provide education and emotional support to the client and the client’s family.
If you started an entire agency of home health care providers, you could outsource all the care and hire experienced nurses to work directly with all your clients (instead of doing everything yourself).
Of the many businesses for nurses, this idea not only allows nurses and nurse practitioners to provide personalized care but also fosters a sense of independence and dignity for patients who wish to remain in their own homes as long as they can.
NURSE-OWNED BUSINESSES:6 | Innovation and Technology
If you're a nurse or nurse practitioner with a passion for innovation and technology, you can use your clinical experience to start a business in innovating medical care, equipment, or technology. You have firsthand experience with the challenges and gaps in healthcare, which can be a great starting point for developing new solutions.
The healthcare industry is constantly evolving, and there’s always a need for new and innovative products and services. You can start by identifying a particular area of healthcare that needs improvement, then develop new products or services that provide better patient outcomes or reduce the workload on healthcare providers.
Once you have an idea, you can start building a team of experts (maybe in engineering, design, or software development). Other factors might be developing a business plan, creating a prototype, or securing funding. You can approach investors, apply for government grants, or seek crowdfunding to finance your project.
By innovating current processes, equipment, and technology, you have the opportunity through this type of nurse-owned business to make a real impact on healthcare and improve the lives of patients and healthcare providers.
NURSE-OWNED BUSINESSES:7 | Adult foster care
Maybe you feel like the adult foster care industry is oversaturated right now, but as our population ages, you won’t be going out of business or running out of clientele any time soon.
An adult foster care center provides care and assistance to people who are elderly or disabled. You and your staff would be responsible for providing assistance with daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, and eating. You’ll also need to provide companionship and emotional support to your clients since this is more of the at-home style of care.
As your business becomes established and well-known for its excellent nursing care, you can gain even more trusting clients for a long-lasting nurse-owned business that makes a difference.
For this nurse-owned business opportunity, you’ll need to factor in the cost of equipment up to industry standards and the cost of the nursing personnel caring for your clients. You’ll also need to complete in-depth research about all the federal and state rules and regulations to open an adult foster care center.
NURSE-OWNED BUSINESSES:8 | Physical Products
Okay, let’s dive into something that might be a perfect fit for you — selling physical products! As a nurse, you’ve got a unique perspective on what people really want and need. Whether it’s something for patients, healthcare professionals, or totally unrelated to healthcare, I’m sure you’ve seen gaps in the market and probably thought, “I could totally make that better.”
It doesn’t have to be medical supplies or wellness products (unless that’s your jam).
Maybe you want to design lifestyle items, create your own brand of eco-friendly goods, or sell handmade crafts. Maybe you want to create functional products like planners for busy professionals, clothing with comfort in mind (because who knows comfort better than a nurse?), or even something as fun as custom candles, baked goods, or home decor.
The options are endless! (I totally sounded like an info-mercial there, oops. 🤪)
Selling physical products gives you the freedom to be creative, build something of your own, and earn extra income with this profitable business idea for nurses. Starting an online store is super flexible, and you can even start small by testing the waters on platforms like Etsy, Shopify, or Amazon. You can keep it as a side gig while you’re still working, or eventually turn it into a full-time nurse-owned business if that’s where your heart leads.
NURSE-OWNED BUSINESSES:9 | Coaching
Just FYI, the coaching industry was valued at $3.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $11.7 billion by 2032, sooo any coaching business could be an incredibly profitable business idea for nurses and nurse practitioners.
As a coach, you can guide and support clients in making positive lifestyle changes that promote their overall health and prevent the onset of chronic diseases. This can include providing guidance on nutrition, exercise, stress management, and any other aspect of healthy living. By offering personalized coaching sessions and creating customized wellness plans, you can empower your patients to take control of their health and achieve their wellness goals!
As a nurse or nurse practitioner starting a business as a coach, you have the added benefit of direct patient care experience. You already have the knowledge and ability to create a wellness program based on evidence-based practices, which is a leg up on the competition. 🙌🏽
Buuut coaching is a HUGE umbrella of possibilities, and if you’re interested in different types of coaching you can provide as a nurse coach, check out this related blog post.
NURSE-OWNED BUSINESSES:10 | Education Specialist, CE provider, or Course Creator
As a nurse or nurse practitioner, your most basic nursing skills include educating your clients, and you can absolutely scale that idea into a full-fledged nurse-owned business. Whether you’re teaching fellow nurses, healthcare professionals, or even people outside the field, creating educational content can be an amazing way to make an impact and generate income.
The best part? You get to choose what you teach.
Maybe you’re passionate about a specific nursing skill, like wound care or IV insertions, or maybe you have a healthcare-unrelated skill, like knitting or candle making, that you could help others master.
Nurses are lifelong learners, and you have so much knowledge to share that can help others level up their skills. There’s no limit to how you can educate your clients or how many clients you can educate at once. You can strive to be an online course creator, keynote speaker, or a viral TedTalk expert. You’ll be educating businesses, communities, and classrooms alike.
You’ll always be in demand, just like in bedside nursing, because health science changes and naturally evolves as new ideas are developed, tried, and tested. As a health education professional, you’ll always have something new to teach your clients or audiences.
NURSE-OWNED BUSINESSES:11 | Freelance Writer
At this point, if you don’t know content creation is booming these days, then you’ve been living under a rock — a very large rock.
You can utilize your nursing knowledge and the adaptability we all know nurses excel at to create a freelance business that works for you. Starting a freelance writing business allows nurses and nurse practitioners to leverage their expertise and contribute to the advancement of healthcare through effective communication and consulting services.
Your nursing knowledge makes you the perfect health and wellness freelance writer. You can get paid to create content for blogs, social media posts, case studies, and white papers.
Don’t get me wrong — freelancing won’t be easy.
And you’ll have to put in the work to get the results you want. Unless you already have an audience to write to, you’ll have to prove to pretty much everyone that you’re the right person for the job.
If you’re willing to take the leap and create a freelance business, utilize every free resource you can find online. There’s SO much out there, and you can learn most things you need for freelancing for free. After that, invest in yourself by taking paid courses to take your business to the next level.
NURSE-OWNED BUSINESSES:Sleep-Deprived Nurse (Hi — yes, it’s me. 🤩)
Not Convinced Yet?
If you’re burnt out, sleep-deprived, and overwhelmed by your bedside nursing job, I’m here to tell you: Don’t quit your nursing career just yet!
I felt the same way as you once, and now that I’ve discovered a different way to be a nurse, I can finally say I love my career. There are SO many options out there for you to discover too, but ultimately, you don’t have to stay in a job that is killing you.
Remember, starting a business requires careful planning, market research, and a solid understanding of the regulations and requirements in your area. With determination, perseverance, and a commitment to providing exceptional healthcare services, nurses and nurse practitioners can absolutely THRIVE as entrepreneurs and contribute to the advancement of the healthcare industry.
Nurses have the knowledge and capabilities to do all sorts of jobs within the realm of nursing. The scope of your abilities may go beyond what you normally think is a nursing career, which means you’ll be on the road to redefining what it means to be a nurse and maybe eventually scaling the business of your dreams.
And when you’re ready to start a website and level up your business with strategic, conversational website copy, I’m your gal.
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