I Exchanged Bedside Nursing For Digital Marketing in 2024

digital products, nurses

Yes, I did. I left my job as a bedside nurse after making 3x my monthly salary in ONE MONTH. Although I loved bedside nursing, I found myself becoming completely burned out. My days off were spent sleeping and recovering from the previous shifts to do it all over again. After trying travel nursing, per diem nursing, and searching for WFH jobs, I realized that what I really wanted was the freedom of travel nursing, with the stability of a staff job and the relaxedness of an outpatient or WFH job. A tall order, right? This is when I discovered digital marketing. 

During one of my mindless scrolls through Instagram, I came across a fellow nurse raving about a digital marketing course she purchased (with master resell rights). As a natural skeptic, I initially thought it was a complete scam and kept scrolling. That same night, I went to work and had a complete catastrophe of a night with two code blues and then two ER admissions. Overcome with exhaustion, I decided to take the leap of faith and take her $333 digital marketing course with the reassurance that I could at least try to make my money back if it turned out to be a scam.

digital marketing

My, was I wrong. The amount of information and invaluable resources I gained from that one course was utterly life-changing. Finally, I had the confidence and knowledge to put what I learned into practice. Within one month of pure consistency, I made over $30,000, the most money I had ever made in one month. So, I decided to go ALL IN. Here, I’ll talk about the transformative potential of digital marketing for registered nurses, providing insights into the digital platforms that nurses are using to elevate their careers. 

During this time of rising inflation and stagnant pay, many other registered nurses face financial challenges despite job stability. Travel nursing rates have dropped considerably, and bedside nurses’ responsibilities continue to increase without an equitable increase in pay. Because of this, nurses have begun to explore new avenues beyond traditional healthcare roles. 

Among these avenues, one stands out as especially promising: digital marketing. In the age of artificial intelligence and social media, digital marketing offers nurses a huge financial opportunity while still providing a way to positively impact the field. 

digital marketing nurse

Nurses Are Looking For Options

Nurses embody patient care as the backbone of healthcare delivery. Many of the general public do not know their role extends beyond administering medications and conducting procedures; they serve as advocates, educators, and empathetic companions to patients and their families. 

Addressing The Challenges Faced By Nurses

Despite their hard work, nurses confront many challenges in their professional journey. Surprisingly, one of these challenges is the financial strain from inflation outpacing wage growth. Many nurses deal with stagnant salaries that fail to reflect the immense amount of responsibility that it requires. This economic burden can take a toll on morale, prompting nurses to seek alternative sources of income and professional fulfillment.

Embracing Digital Marketing As A Solution

Nurses are now turning to digital marketing to escape the rat race. Digital marketing encompasses various strategies for leveraging digital channels to connect with audiences, promote services, and drive engagement. With social media marketing, content creation, and search engine optimization (SEO), digital marketing offers nurses a versatile toolkit for enhancing their online presence, expanding their professional networks, and tapping into new opportunities for career growth.

The best part about this is that nurses do not have to show their faces or interact with others during their marketing efforts unless they want to. Hence, there has also been a rise in faceless digital marketing. Examples include promoting on digital marketing channels like Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, a Podcast Channel, YouTube, and Facebook. But it doesn’t stop there. Airbnb arbitrage, email marketing, Amazon FBA, print-on-demand services, e-books, and blogging (Me!) are ways nurses can make sustainable income away from the bedside on their own terms

The Rise Of The Nurse Entrepreneur

In recent years, a huge influx of nurse entrepreneurs, nurse educators, and healthcare professionals want to leverage their clinical expertise from the healthcare industry to create digital products. These products can include educational content, study notes for nursing students, and online courses created and sold through effective digital marketing strategies and social media platforms. It has become even more alluring with the rise of master resell rights (MRR) and private label rights (PLR), giving people the ability to rebrand and sell products that they didn’t even create themselves for 100% profit. 

Digital marketing is a powerful tool that catalyzes nurse entrepreneurs. It enables them to establish and grow their businesses, build passive income streams, reach their target audience through social media, and differentiate themselves in competitive markets. Whether launching a telehealth startup, offering online courses, or monetizing their expertise through consulting services, nurse entrepreneurs are harnessing the power of digital marketing to carve out their niches and thrive in the healthcare sector.

The Growing Influence Of Social Media And Digital Marketing In Healthcare

Let’s face it: social media platforms have evolved into powerful tools for disseminating health-related information, connecting healthcare professionals, and engaging with patients. Even further, nurses and other healthcare professionals are taking advantage of the enormous income potential from their social networks.

Harnessing the Power of Social Media Marketing

Nurses can position themselves as thought leaders and subject matter experts within their respective domains by strategically curating and sharing content or health information that resonates with their target audience. From educational posts highlighting evidence-based practices to personal stories that humanize nursing, social media allows nurses to showcase their expertise, provide healthcare services, and connect with new patients, colleagues, and healthcare organizations.

Why Is Selling Digital Products and Digital Marketing So Easy For Nurses?

The majority of nurses and healthcare providers are educators at heart. Think about it. Nurses possess a wealth of expertise and authority in healthcare, gained through years of education, training, and hands-on experience in clinical settings. Every shift is spent educating patients and their families about their medical conditions. This specialized knowledge equips nurses with unique insights and perspectives highly valued by individuals and potential clients seeking educational content. Moreover, digital products have a minimal cost to create and a 100% profit margin, making it a lucrative side hustle.

Easy Access to Niche Markets and Target Audiences

One key advantage for nurses in selling digital products is their access to niche markets and target audiences within the healthcare industry. For example, I was a burned-out bedside nurse with lots of knowledge and insight related to burnout. So, I’ve created a blog and many digital products that cater to other nurses like me. 

Nurses often specialize in specific areas of healthcare, such as pediatrics, geriatrics, oncology, or mental health. This allows them to identify and cater to the needs of niche markets. Nurses can effectively target their digital products to audiences with specific health concerns, interests, and preferences by leveraging their expertise and connections within these specialized fields.

Flexibility and Scalability of Digital Products

Unlike traditional physical products, digital products offer nurses unparalleled flexibility and scalability in creation, distribution, and monetization. Digital products, such as e-books, online courses, webinars, and digital downloads, can be created once and sold repeatedly to unlimited customers, generating passive income streams over time. This scalability allows nurses to maximize their earning potential while maintaining flexibility in their schedules and workload, making selling digital products an attractive option for supplementing their income or transitioning to a full-time entrepreneurial venture.

Low Overhead Costs and Minimal Investment

Another advantage of selling digital products for nurses is the low overhead costs and minimal investment required to get started. Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar businesses that may require substantial upfront investments in inventory, equipment, and overhead expenses, selling quality content requires minimal overhead costs, such as website hosting fees, digital marketing expenses, and payment processing fees. This low barrier to entry makes it accessible for nurses of all backgrounds and experience levels to launch and monetize their digital products with relatively little financial risk.

Alignment with the Shift Toward Digital Healthcare

The healthcare industry is changing, driven by technological advancements and the growing demand for digital health solutions. Virtual nurse positions, telehealth, and now even AI nurses are debuting into healthcare practice. As healthcare systems increasingly turn to digital platforms to aid their medical practice, there is a growing demand for high-quality digital products that offer convenience, accessibility, and value. 

So What Does This All Mean?

Forbes announced digital marketing as the highest-income skill/job in 2024. This is an exciting trend that has the potential to change your nursing career trajectory. Combining my skills as a bedside nurse with those of a digital marketer has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my career. Why? Because as healthcare continues to evolve, people with relevant skills will be in high demand. Moreover, these skills are a gateway for those who desire to get a traditional job away from the bedside. What do you think about the rise of digital marketing? Leave a comment below!