Private Duty Nurse

• When starting a home business, nurses can follow a more traditional route by establishing "nurse on call" businesses. Especially with the increasing need to care for the elderly in their own homes, the demand for private nursing care continues to grow. Working on his or her own, a nurse can be hired on a contractual basis either by the client, the client's family members, a home-healthcare agency, a hospital, or other form of home-healthcare organization. Many registered nurses find that offering their services as a private-duty nurse in home healthcare can be personally rewarding. They often have pleasurable long-term relationships with clients and their families. At the same time, they enjoy the benefits of being self-employed.
  
  

Child Health Care Provider

• Many households are now dual income, where both parents have very stressful jobs with long hours. When their children become ill, it is difficult for many parents to take time off from work for more than a day or two. When a child comes down with a more serious, long-lasting illness, such as the flu or a lingering cold, the parents may want to hire nurses to care for their children. Some nurses who work on their own specialize in that area. They are not running a childcare business; they are only available to help out when a child becomes ill and the parents are unable to stay home. Some of these nurses also take care of younger children when their parents have to go out of town for work-related travel other reasons.
  
  

Medical Billing and Coding

• Because they have the medical training, registered nurses can branch out into other, less traditional areas of healthcare work. For example, those with administrative as well as medical training may want to become medical billing and coding consultants. Those professionals work on a contractual or retainer basis for private practice officers of doctors and dentists. Those consultants are responsible for maintaining patients' records, overseeing medical claims and resolving insurance issues.
  
  

Medical Transcriptionist

• Similar to billing and coding, nurses can use their medical education and training to work as transcriptionists. There are many health care facilities, from medical centers to physicians' private-practice offices, that require transcriptions of medical reports, patient histories and letters. Especially as the legalities of the healthcare field become more strict, it is necessary to have all backup material available in the best form possible.
  
  

Eldercare Consultant

• With the growing population of the elderly, increased demands are being placed on caregivers. Many baby boomers are now facing serious questions, such as when should their parents move out of their homes? What type of facility is best for that move? Which of the possible assisted care or nursing homes will provide the most effective care? Those caregivers also have numerous questions about insurance coverage and other medical administrative issues. As an elder care consultant, a nurse meets with family members to assess the older parent's medical and psychological status to help the family determine whether or not it is time for additional care. The family, with the consultant's help, then develop a plan based on the parent's specific needs. The consultant is also available to respond to any questions that arise during the transitions.