CHICAGO (NewsNation) — More than 50% of American nurses have a side hustle to earn extra income in their spare time, a new study found. Nearly half of those nurses who have been in the industry for less than three years said they plan on transitioning to their side hustles full-time.
“It comes as no surprise that nurses are multifaceted and wish to pursue different opportunities. However, the amount of new nurses who surveyed that they plan to leave permanently for their side hustle is alarming,” Tamara AL-Yassin, former bedside nurse and CEO of The Nursing Beat, said.
The Nursing Beat and connectRN partnered together to conduct a survey for nurses to measure what defines the “New Nurse.”
The survey polled over 1,300 nurses and found that more than half of them had a second job or side hustle. Of those nurses, 34% of them said they are in pursuit of new skills and/or are following a passion.
While the love for nursing is at the heart of what drives professionals in the healthcare community, six in 10 nurses said they feel their job interferes with their life. According to the survey:
- 41% of nurses said they struggle to maintain relationships with loved ones
- 42% of nurses said they want to travel but their jobs don’t allow the flexibility
- 42% can’t keep up with their housework
- 43% struggle to meet health and fitness goals
Plus, nurses said they want to be able to save up enough money to feel secure and comfortable knowing they have a backup option.
Half of the nurses said they feel driven by the need for extra money, and 80% of participants said they have ambitions to start their own business.
“Side hustles allow nurses to thrive and keep them in the profession,” Ted Jeanloz, CEO of connectRN, said.
In 2022, registered nurses in the U.S. made an average annual wage of $81,220, and $39.05 per hour for hourly employees, according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics.
However, with record-high inflation and interest rate hikes, the economy has made it increasingly hard to keep up with the cost of living. Plus, ursing has seen an increase in burnout due to the national nursing shortage plaguing the country.
“Burnout is among the common influences hurting healthcare workers. Routine shifts already last 12+ hours, and many involve overnight work. Workloads have become more intense than ever, with 62% of nurses reporting an increase since COVID started,” The Nursing Beat reported.
In May, an AMN Healthcare survey found that nearly a third of registered nurses said they’ll likely leave the profession for another job due to stress.
The U.S. is projected to be more than one million nurses short, and by 2025, that shortfall will reach more than two million nurses, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
California, New Jersey, Alaska, and Texas are facing the biggest shortages, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said.
“There is an enormous amount of work to be done in order to better support our young nurses who are a different generation, requiring different standards. If we don’t begin to listen and solve archaic institutional employment requirements, we will ultimately lose our nursing workforce,” AL-Yassin said.
Nurses are also leaving the job due to burnout from long shifts and high workloads. Plus, the aging U.S. population is requiring an increase in nurses.