A Guide to Nurse Entrepreneurship

HomeA Guide to Nurse Entrepreneurship

Nursing is one of the most flexible careers in the world, as there are endless ways to use that license and create a sustainable living. From options in clinical care to cruise ships, corporate occupational health roles, and so much more, there are many ways to reinvent your nursing career.

However, one role nurses have historically not pursued as much is business ownership, which appears to be changing. Since the height of the pandemic, the number of nurse entrepreneurs has increased significantly, and the trend shows no sign of slowing.

This is largely thanks to the rise of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, which have made finding creative and lucrative business ideas easier than ever, but that’s not the whole story.

It’s important to note that nursing entrepreneurship far predates the Internet age. One study published in 2022 looked at all of the existing research on the field and noted that the earliest papers on the subject were published in the 1970s. Organizations like the National Nurses in Business Association were founded in the 1980s to provide networking opportunities and support for nurse founders. Yet, there has never been a business ownership boom for nurses like today.

Why are nurses starting businesses at record rates, and what attributes are required to succeed? We spoke to four successful nurse entrepreneurs about their journey, successes and failures, and what they learned along the way. Keep reading to learn the advice they share for nurses considering business ownership.

The Appeal of Entrepreneurship for Nurses

Nursing in the U.S. was in a precarious position before the pandemic, thanks to hospitals intentionally understaffing nursing roles to save money, a rapidly aging workforce, and an increasingly complex and sick patient population.

The pandemic pushed some nurses over the edge, leading many to leave the profession entirely—those who remained experienced rapidly worsening mental and physical health thanks to increased workloads and decreased institutional support. While some nurses chose to leave their hospital positions and take advantage of the travel nursing gold rush, others opted to try something new entirely.

Michelle DeLizio Podlesni, RN, CEO, and president of the National Nurses in Business Association, heard many of the same stories from new nurse entrepreneurs who joined her organization since 2020. From departmental restructuring that eliminated their position to constantly being overworked and unsupported by their administration, many nurses started looking outside traditional clinical nursing for a more sustainable and rewarding career path.

“The post-pandemic period resulted in ‘the great reset’ where nurses no longer believed that the administration had their backs, and they reevaluated and reprioritized their lives accordingly. The pandemic heightened existing problems with burnout in the nursing profession. They were already dealing with unsustainable workloads, a lack of administrative support, insufficient rewards for effort, and a lack of control,” Podlesni said.

One of those nurses was Maggie Aime, MSN, RN. Aime had a long and successful nursing career before the pandemic, but it was difficult. Like many nurses, she had tried multiple specialties and roles, and she moved jobs because of poor staffing, unrealistic workloads, bad management, and the resulting burnout.

“Like so many of us, I initially had a romanticized view of the nursing field. The reality is very different and quickly shattered those high hopes. I hung in there as a bedside nurse for as long as I could. Some specialties and settings were slightly better, some worse, but there seemed to be a common denominator when it came to treating nurses fairly,” Aime shared.

She even tried remote nursing but was disappointed to learn that the workloads and expectations were just as bad as those of her hospital roles. After countless disappointments, she yearned for more freedom and professional flexibility. Eventually, she built a thriving business as a nurse writer.

Irnise Williams, JD is an experienced RN who worked in various healthcare settings before finding her fit in entrepreneurship, but her journey was also winding.

After working in a few different healthcare settings, she returned to school in 2014 and got her law degree to work in healthcare law. However, she couldn’t find a job that appealed to her when she graduated, so she returned to the bedside while slowly building her dream law firm. Then the pandemic hit, and she experienced many of the same problems nurses were dealing with nationwide. For her, business ownership unfolded naturally as the culmination of all of her experiences.

“Entrepreneurship, for me, was an opportunity to use all my skills and talents and create my own world. It took me a long time to find exactly what I wanted to do,” Williams shared.

Work-life balance and control over schedule are frequently cited as the top reasons nurses explore business ownership. Conversely, that same 2022 study titled Nurse Entrepreneurship in the Emerging Healthcare Industry listed the following individual attributes as the most commonly associated with nurse entrepreneurs:

Autonomy
Independence
Flexibility
Innovation
Proactivity
Self-confidence
Responsibility

These are all essential traits in most nursing roles, so it’s understandable why many nurses successfully transition from traditional employees to thriving business owners.

Tips for Building a Business from Successful Nurse Entrepreneurs

Every nurse is different, and every business venture is unique. However, some pearls of wisdom that these successful nurse entrepreneurs shared can apply to almost any new business. These eight tips will help nurses build a thriving business and avoid common ownership pitfalls.

1. Cultivate a Realistic View of Entrepreneurship

A theme that each entrepreneur we interviewed touched upon is the need for resilience and a strong emotional anchor to weather the stormy seas of business ownership. While social media influencers may tout entrepreneurship as a cure for nursing burnout and a professional silver bullet–the entrepreneurs we spoke to disagreed strongly.

“Business ownership is tough. It will not fix your burnout; in fact, if you’re uneducated and underprepared, it could make it worse,” Irnise Williams shared. She urges caution and believes that starting a business is challenging and riskier than traditional employment. “Anyone telling you otherwise is selling you something.”

Each of these entrepreneurs agreed that building a successful business takes a lot of time and often money and is not for everyone. This is even more true if the goal is to build a traditional healthcare business, as the cost of operation and regulatory and legal requirements can be prohibitive.

So, nurses must do their research and set reasonable expectations for their business from the beginning.

2. Build Slowly

Aime—a freelance nurse writer—recommends building a business slowly to avoid the additional stress that comes with being forced to scale it quickly. “You don’t have to and shouldn’t quit your job right away. Work on building your business idea part-time on the side while you continue pulling hospital shifts or whatever else you currently do.”

Emma Geiser, BSN, RN—owner of the popular Nurse Fern remote job platform—agrees. She describes her pull toward entrepreneurship as a slow build she couldn’t shake: “I tried many different things before landing on what worked best. To me, the heart of entrepreneurship is the willingness to keep going, to trust the process, and to move through failure.”

Geiser built her business carefully over a long period while working full-time in a remote nursing position. She credits some of her success to the considerable savings she built during that time, which helped her weather slow months and unsuccessful product launches.

3. Be Bold!

Despite the risks, Aime believes nurses should jump in and be bold if they feel drawn to business ownership. “There are so many avenues and opportunities available to nurses nowadays. If you’re looking for a change, want more freedom, and want to become your own boss, entrepreneurship could be the path for you to get that fulfillment you’re yearning for.”

She says, “The opportunities are endless when you combine nursing expertise with an entrepreneurial mindset. Don’t let fear, doubts, nay-sayers, or anything else stop you from exploring entrepreneurship. Find your passion and go for it.”

However, Aime, Williams, and Geiser recommend acquiring the proper education before jumping in with both feet. One of the best ways to avoid failure as a new business owner is to seek out education from reputable and qualified sources and legal and financial services to avoid costly missteps.

4. Avoid Scams

Sadly, scammers are aware of many nurses’ desperation and will take advantage of their desire to leave their traditional nursing jobs. Therefore, it is essential to develop discernment around services, classes, and coaches targeting nurses and other healthcare providers trying to enter the entrepreneurial space.

“Remember that social media has a super low barrier to entry. Bear that in mind when you’re thinking about investing in a coach or class. As a new business owner, there are many ways to avoid less reputable service providers. Questions to ask yourself include: Do they have a website? What’s their track record in their niche? Where is their social proof? Do they have lots of happy customers?” Emma Geiser, Founder and CEO of Nurse Fern, said.

She recommends digging deeper past the social media shine and evaluating the person’s credentials to sell that service: “If they claim to be a job coach or resume writer, have they worked as a hiring manager? If so, for how long? Are they part of resume writing associations? Or did they land a job once and now think they’re qualified to coach others?”

Nurses should research the person offering an expensive resource (e.g., coaching services, courses) for their business before purchasing it. They should also try to speak with people who have worked with them to get a feel for the process and to help assess the possible value to their business.

5. Understand the Many Roles of a Business Owner

Perhaps the biggest shock of business ownership is how many jobs a single title entails. Many people start a business around something they love or have deep expertise in and do not realize just how many other skill sets and knowledge bases entrepreneurs must acquire to be successful that have nothing to do with the core business interest.

Entrepreneurs often wear many hats, from accounting to contract law and marketing to networking. While business owners may be able to delegate many of those responsibilities as income grows, the owner holds the ultimate responsibility, so they must be confident and competent in all essential business basics.

Health law and compliance attorney and RN Williams shares, “Many people don’t realize it, but your accountant, for example, is not responsible for any mistakes made on your tax return. You are.”

Running a successful business requires significant responsibility, autonomy, and attention to detail. Nurses interested in entrepreneurship must understand the full breadth of those requirements before investing in a new business opportunity.

6. The Business Does Not Have to Be in Healthcare

Though many nurse entrepreneurs end up starting healthcare businesses, know that there are no limits to business opportunities.

“Your business does not have to be in healthcare. As nurses, that’s our first thought, of course. But open yourself up to different avenues and really think about your passions and interests. You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing,” Williams says.

Nurses can experiment with their creative side and keep an open mind when exploring business ideas. You never know when the perfect idea will strike.

7. Embrace the Pivot

Each of the nurse entrepreneurs we spoke to shared their different experiences with failed ventures, products that didn’t pan out, and experiences that led them to change the direction of their business–also called pivoting. Each business is unique, and so is the journey to success for each person and brand. But those hiccups usually don’t make it to social media.

Williams notes, “I thought I was going to be building in aesthetics for a few years, but it turned out not to be as fruitful as I thought. I then thought I’d be working more with nurse practitioners, but not so much. I have changed my niche so many times. You have to change your business to meet demands, but that’s not something most people will share.”

Remember that business ownership is an ever-evolving journey; you do not have to have it all figured out on day one. Experiment, become educated, and keep exploring the options until a fit is found.

8. Avoid Comparison

While social media has been integral in expanding nursing entrepreneurship, it’s not without its faults. Chiefly, it breeds a culture of comparison that can be discouraging for new business owners.

These entrepreneurs urge nurses interested in building a business to avoid this trap and remember that social media is a highlight reel and marketing tool–not an accurate picture of anyone’s life.

Instead of comparing your business success to that of strangers online, seek out community with others on a similar journey who can offer their support and understanding.

Nurse Entrepreneurship: Just One More Option in a Sea of Career Opportunities

Business ownership is just one more option in a seemingly endless list of career opportunities for nurses. Nurses who thrive as entrepreneurs tend to be persistent, resilient, and creative. They are self-starters and hard workers who don’t let failure keep them down.

While nurses have endless professional options today, National Nurses in Business Association president Michelle DeLizio Podlesni still wants them to think bigger: “I believe nurses need a paradigm shift to understand that from the moment we receive our nursing license, we are business owners, and we choose where and how we provide our nursing services, “ she said.

So, while entrepreneurship has many benefits, including autonomy, flexibility, and the opportunity to make a significant impact, it’s not for everyone. Building a business requires considerable time (and money) and constant effort, often for years. Yet, the benefits far outweigh the risks for nurses with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Meg Lambrych, RN

Writer

Meg Lambrych is a registered nurse, writer, and nursing advocate from Upstate New York.

After leaving clinical care due to burnout, she dedicated her life to covering issues in healthcare, nursing, and health in the digital space. She reports on nursing culture, policy, and history and interviews nursing innovators and leaders shaping the profession and challenging the status quo.