10 Badass Online Jobs for Nurses: Because Who Needs Scrubs When You Can Work in Pajamas?

The thought of swiping the badge to clock my time at a hospital for the next 20 years filled me with absolute dread.

In some places, I loved my coworkers, and looked forward to seeing some of them each day.

In other instances, the idea of having to face another shift of unimaginable stress, with no end in sight, was nothing short of soul-crushing. 

Do you dream of a career that lets you work from a sunny terrace in Mexico or your cozy home office—possibly still in your pajamas?

I know I did.

You’re not alone.

Many women over 40, especially nurses, are starting to question the non-stop grind of traditional healthcare roles.

Whether it’s burnout, a desire for more control over your schedule, or a dream of working remotely while sipping coconut water on a beach, there’s a growing interest in exploring online income opportunities in the nursing field.

The good news?

Nurses are perfectly poised for success in the online world.

Your unique skill set, vast experience, and natural compassion make you a hot commodity in digital spaces.

It’s not about abandoning your profession—it’s about rethinking how, where, and on what terms you work.

In this post, I’ll share 10 online jobs for nurses who want freedom, flexibility, and financial independence.

Whether you’re looking for full-time remote opportunities or simple side hustles, there’s a remote gig calling your name.

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1. Telehealth Nurse

The Role: Use your nursing skills to consult with patients over video or phone. Telehealth is booming, and providers often hire RNs for this purpose. You’ll dive into patient history, troubleshoot symptoms, and offer guidance—without ever stepping into a hospital.

Tools Needed: Reliable internet, a quiet home workspace, and telehealth software training (usually provided by employers).

Flexibility: High. Many companies offer shifts around the clock, so you can work whenever suits your lifestyle.

Earnings Potential: $25-$50/hour depending on experience.

My 2 cents:

This works if you want to work from home in the US, but is harder if you want to live the expat life.

If your goal is to leave the country, the trick is finding a US company that has offices in the country you plan to live in.

There aren’t many, so you’ll have to do your homework. 

In my opinion, this option has been the most difficult to find as there apparently are barriers relating to data-sharing/confidentiality and a candidate’s presence in a foreign country. 

I am still researching this and will certainly update as I get more information. 

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2. Online Nurse Educator

The Role: Transition your passion for patient education into a teaching career for aspiring nurses.

Many schools and tutoring companies offer remote opportunities for nurse educators to teach courses or prepare nursing students for exams like the NCLEX.

Tools Needed: Teaching experience is a plus, but not mandatory. Some universities even provide teaching certifications if you’re willing to invest the time.

Flexibility: Medium to high. Course schedules are usually flexible, but grading and prep might need time management.

Earnings Potential: $60,000-$90,000/year for part-time to full-time roles.

My 2 cents:

I think this is a great option if you already have the experience as an Educator.

There are some jobs where you can even teach asynchronously and create the lessons/videos to upload onto the course platform to your students.

This makes it easy if you are in a different time zone and doesn’t tie you down to class schedule requirements. 

I might even look into this myself!

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3. Medical Writer

The Role: You can use your nursing background to create informative, accurate healthcare content. Medical writers are in demand for blogs, online courses, pharmaceutical companies, and medical journals.

Tools Needed: A solid grasp of research, writing, and citation skills. Platforms like Grammarly or Hemingway can help polish your work.

Flexibility: Very high. You can take on projects as a freelancer or work directly with companies.

Earnings Potential: $0.30-$1 per word, or $70,000+ annually if full-time.

My 2 cents:

The perk is in the high flexibility, especially if you want to digital nomad your way through life.

If you’re not into writing and researching, however, this could get frustrating and tedious pretty quickly. 

Also, you wouldn’t have a steady stream of income as you would be dependent on the flow of jobs as they become available. 

I personally wouldn’t rely on this as my main bread and butter, but it would definitely work as a way to supplement your income from time to time. 

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4. Remote Case Manager

The Role: Help patients access and understand their care plans, manage chronic diseases, or coordinate follow-ups—all via phone or email. This is a fantastic role for nurses with experience in patient advocacy or coordination.

Tools Needed: Familiarity with case management software (training usually provided).

Flexibility: Medium. Some companies require set hours, especially for check-in calls, while others are more flexible.

Earnings Potential: $50,000-$85,000 annually.

My 2 cents:

I could write a book on this as I have extensive experience in the field.

I’ve worked as a remote Case Manager for over 10 years and I can confirm that it is great for offering the ability to work from home. 

The downside is most, if not all jobs, will require you to be in the US physically. 

I’ve worked remotely the entire time that I’ve been with my current company, and have requested permission to work outside of the country, and have been denied. 

If you are okay with just working from home, and want the flexibility of being able to work anywhere in the US, then being a remote Case Manager is where it’s at.

Most companies likely won’t permit you to do so as a remote worker living abroad, though. 

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5. Health Coach

The Role: Combine your healthcare expertise with mentoring to help people reach health and wellness goals. Whether it’s weight loss, stress management, or chronic disease prevention, you’ll create customized roadmaps for success.

Tools Needed: Certification in health coaching is optional but can boost credibility. Zoom or other video conferencing platforms are commonly used for client meetings.

Flexibility: Very high. You can freelance, work for an online wellness company, or start your own business.

Earnings Potential: $30-$100/session, depending on your niche and clientele.

My 2 cents:

I’ve looked into this (loosely) and this is a good option if you have some specific things in place.

You would need a solid marketing plan to source and secure paying clients.

I personally would do a lot of research on HOW and WHERE to find potential clients who would be interested enough in paying for these services before slapping down any money for certifications.

Once you’ve figured that out, this could be a great option, especially with the knowledge nurses bring to the table.

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6. Online Course Creator

The Role: Package your nursing skills into an online course you can sell. Whether it’s a crash course on handling medical emergencies or stress management techniques for caregivers, there’s a market for your knowledge.

Tools Needed: Platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, or Canva to design and market your course easily.

Flexibility: Extremely high. Once your course is live, it can provide passive income for years (hello, beachside earnings!).

Earnings Potential: Potentially unlimited. Most creators earn $500-$10,000+ per course launch.

My 2 cents:

Once upon a time, I was an ER Trauma Nurse that had all the certifications and worked in Level 1 trauma centers in places like NYC, doing and seeing all the things.

If I had known about creating online courses back then, when I knew my stuff inside and out…

I would be KILLING it!

You would be seeing my little courses all over the internets.

It’s been a long time since I’ve actually used those skills.

But if you still do, you can make BANK creating courses for other nurses who need that information and would benefit from your knowledge and experience.

Another option is creating videos for nurses, or other health professionals, to earn CEU credits.

This is a great one-and-done way to generate passive income because, once you make the video, you just post it to the platform and that’s it!

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7. Freelance Nursing Consultant

The Role: Offer your expertise to healthcare startups, research firms, or medical tech companies. You’ll provide insights into patient care, product development, or regulatory compliance.

Tools Needed: A strong LinkedIn presence and networking skills to land contracts.

Flexibility: High. You control the scope and length of consulting gigs.

Earnings Potential: $50-$100/hour depending on your niche and clients.

My 2 cents:

If you’ve been in an upper management role, this may be a great business idea.

As a freelancer, you would essentially be self-employed, so you would need to look into how to structure your business.

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8. Nurse Blogger or YouTuber

The Role: Share your knowledge with the world via a blog, YouTube channel, or podcast. Cover everything from nursing stories and advice to niche topics like travel nursing or avoiding burnout.

Tools Needed: A website (try WordPress) and basic video or audio editing software.

Flexibility: Medium. While the startup phase requires effort, this could become a steady passive income source down the road.

Earnings Potential: $500/month initially, with the potential for $50,000+ annually via ad revenue, sponsorships, or affiliate marketing.

My 2 cents:

Calling all you Millenial and Gen Z nurses!

This is where you guys can shine.

You don’t need much to start and you’ve grown up with social media and phones in hand.

Take advantage of the wave and start your YouTube channel now to get some of that Google money everyone else is talking about.

If you’re more of an introvert (like me), and blogging seems more of your thing, then it’s as easy as signing up for a domain, hosting plan and WordPress.

There are so many videos and tutorials online to help you navigate how to do both, you can absolutely find your way away from the hospital grind.

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9. Nurse Researcher for Online Studies

The Role: Sign on with universities or research firms conducting clinical studies. Your background in patient care and medical ethics makes you perfect for reaching out to participants or analyzing data remotely.

Tools Needed: Basic understanding of data entry and online survey tools like Qualtrics.

Flexibility: High. Hours depend on the study’s needs but are often flexible.

Earnings Potential: $30-$50/hour depending on the study.

My cents:

This seems pretty straightforward but, did you know that there are companies that have jobs where you can work as a Clinical Researcher internationally as well?

Some US-based companies have offices in countries all over the world.

You have to be creative in how to search for these positions, as they don’t typically advertise explicitly for ‘nurses’, but they will often cite a Bachelors Degree in Nursing as a qualification requirement for application.

Hit the Googles and don’t give up.

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10. Virtual Assistant for Health Professionals

The Role: Use your organizational skills to manage schedules, emails, or data for doctors, therapists, or other healthcare professionals. Your firsthand knowledge of terminology gives you an edge over non-healthcare VAs.

Tools Needed: Strong familiarity with software like Google Workspace, Zoom, and medical scheduling apps.

Flexibility: Very high. Pick up clients through platforms like Upwork or by networking within your professional circle.

Earnings Potential: $15-$35/hour.

My 2 cents

This is great if you are an LPN and/or have medical office-based experience.

You can create your own business and market yourself as a dedicated Healthcare VA.

This also will require a really good marketing strategy to ensure you can secure clients to keep your business afloat.

You can also try platforms like Upwork and Fiverr to find clients, but I’ve heard that they can be quite competitive and you may be struggling for your life to get paid what you’re worth over there as a newbie.

Not intended to discourage anyone, but just to provide a realistic viewpoint of the landscape.

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Conclusion

If you’re a nurse looking to break free from the 9-to-5 grind—or simply craving more freedom and control in midlife—there’s never been a better time to explore online work.

The skills and experience you’ve honed as a nurse translate beautifully into remote opportunities, from telehealth to health coaching to medical writing.

The best part?

Many of these jobs allow you to keep healthcare as your foundation while working from from home or anywhere in the world.

So whether you’re planning a move abroad, downsizing your in-person commitments, or experimenting with side gigs—there’s something here for everyone.

Are you already eyeing one of these opportunities?

Or do you have other ideas about transitioning your nursing career online?

I’d love to hear your thoughts—drop a comment below and let’s chat!