Nurse’s Side Gig: TruCare Foot Health

Nurse’s Side Gig: TruCare Foot Health

If you’ve ever dreamed of having a side gig providing in-home patient care, Amanda Truffen, a Registered Palliative Care Nurse at Carpenter Hospice, is already doing just that.

Truffen used to work full-time in her hospice job, but now she works part-time there and spends her other time working in her side gig, TruCare Foot Health .

Truffen took time from her busy schedule to answer our questions about her business. What follows is our interview, edited for length and clarity.

Why did you start your side gig providing foot care for patients in their homes? How did you go about it, and had you worked in foot care before you began your own business?

I love my job at the hospice in my home city, although I found that I needed a plan to supplement my income. Taking advice from my friend, who was a Chiropodist, I went back to school and became certified in Basic and Advanced foot care. This would allow me to provide foot care for diabetic and non-diabetic clients. I called my side gig business TruCare Foot Health.

To get started and build experience in foot care, I worked on my days off for my friend, the chiropodist, in her clinic. This was an amazing opportunity for me. She was there to teach and guide me.

Her suggestion for me was to venture out on my own and provide foot care in client homes.

Many people in the community can’t get to an appointment or don’t want to. Many seniors rely on family to get them to their appointments. If a foot care nurse could go to their home, that would be one less thing they would have to request from them.

How did you know there was a need in the community for your service?

While working at the clinic, I would hear clients mention that they wished someone would come to their homes. It would make things easier for them. My friend was right! There was a need in the community.

I finally decided I was ready, then started spreading the word that I would go to the clients’ homes to provide foot care. A few of my first clients were from the foot clinic.

Some clients were those who had been taking taxis, had vision problems, and had difficulty walking. I also got other clients from the volunteers at the hospice.

I have built up close to 100 clients I see every six weeks. They are all seniors except two middle-aged men who work in construction and have feet that need some TLC. These men can claim their benefits, although coverage is tricky. Clients need to check with their insurance companies. Every policy is different. They may get full coverage, partial, or no coverage at all.

Do you have previous entrepreneurial experience or have you learned on the go? 

This is my first experience with my own business. I had no idea what I was doing.

My uncle has a marketing consultancy, and he helped me with my business cards, posters, website, and every other marketing need. I still get compliments on his great work.

What are your most significant rewards of having a side gig?

My business is growing quickly, and I’m glad I did it. I love it. I make my own hours and can take my four kids to appointments and activities.

I also love this new path because I enjoy people—especially seniors. I see the same clients over and over and build relationships with them. They fill me in on their lives and their families’ lives.

When I visit their homes, I feel that I am not just there for foot care. They look forward to having company and building a relationship. It’s more like an experience.

I most enjoy the stories of their lives; they love to reminisce. It’s often a special time with lots of laughs.

I would tell any nurse who enjoys people and makes them feel pampered to start their side gig.

Providing foot care in the comfort of their own home is the way to go. There is a huge need in the community, and once your name is out there, it will just snowball.

A Day in the Life: Psychiatric Nurse

A Day in the Life: Psychiatric Nurse

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work with psychiatric patients?

Surely, it’s not like many movies and television shows have portrayed. Not even close.

To get more information about becoming a psychiatric nurse , we interviewed Jessica Martinez, RN, a Behavioral Health Registered Nurse working on CareRev’s platform at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, New Jersey.

What follows is our interview, edited for length and clarity.

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Jessica Martinez, RN, is a Behavioral Health Registered Nurse at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, New Jersey

How did you get interested in working as a psychiatric nurse? What drew you to it? How long have you been doing it?

My mentor from nursing school was a psychiatric nurse instructor, and she told me she thought I should try it. She helped me get my first job. 

I fell in love with it after working as a psychiatric nurse. That was in 2019, and I still really love this area of medicine.

Briefly explain what you do as a psychiatric nurse. What types of patients do you serve—what ages and how are they approved to be in the program? What do you provide for them? 

As a psychiatric nurse, I assist patients from ages five to 105 with a mental health diagnosis who have been admitted to the hospital.

I ensure patients and staff stay safe, and a big part of the job is administering medications so patients can return to their daily lives. I work with patients to help reduce the stigma of their mental health challenges and help them understand it is a chronic condition that can be treated.

Some of my patients–once they start their medication and begin to feel better–think they don’t need their meds anymore. As a result, I work with patients in a group therapy setting to help them understand they have a diagnosis and that the best way to deal with it is to follow the doctor’s orders.

Did you need to get additional education to become a psychiatric nurse? 

I earned an associate degree in 2018 and a bachelor’s degree in 2022, and I’m currently pursuing a master’s degree.

You can do this job with an associate degree, but a bachelor’s is preferred.

What do you like most about working in your job? 

My favorite part is seeing patients get better and feel more like themselves. I work with patients to help them develop new routines for improved health and wellness. When a patient is ready to go home, that is the best feeling in the world.

I work in the hospital through CareRev, a technology platform that allows me to maintain my schedule based on what is going on in my life. I can build my work schedule around my life, not the other way around. This has helped balance my work and personal lives, pays well enough for me to travel, and allows me time to schedule a break when needed.

What are your biggest challenges? 

Sometimes, patients are frustrated, but we work hard to ensure everyone navigates to a healthy outcome.

What are your greatest rewards in your work? 

The biggest reward is working directly with patients and knowing that every day is different. I’m constantly learning and growing in my role.

Is there anything else that is important for our readers to know?

Nursing has changed a lot. I work through CareRev’s platform, where I work side-by-side with hospital professionals daily. However, I have the flexibility to control my schedule so I can pursue further education, accommodate my family’s needs, and pick up shifts close to home. 

We need more nurses going into psychiatry. It’s a field that has changed so much, and so has society’s understanding of mental health challenges.

These patients need compassionate healthcare professionals now more than ever.

Nurse’s Side Gig: Skincare Blogger

Nurse’s Side Gig: Skincare Blogger

Have you ever wondered if you could have a side gig as a skincare blogger? Could you make money at it? Would you like it?

Christina Diferdinando, DNP, RN-BC, has done just that. While she’s had an amazing career from everything as an ER nurse to a nurse providing project management, digital strategy, and quality improvement, her full-time job now is as the director of product operations at the Digital Innovation Group within a large healthcare organization. She currently partners with leaders to uncover and understand their most significant pain points and opportunities to inform what digital solutions they build and to inform new features for their current solutions.

But her side gig, which is eponymously named, is Christina DiFerdinando. While blogging as a skincare specialist, she used her name as her brand if she chose to expand or pivot her niche.

She took time to answer our questions. What follows is our interview, edited for length and clarity.  

Why did you decide to start blogging about skincare? When did you start it, and how did you go about it? 

Blogging Interest

I’ve always been interested in owning my own business, but I was looking for a digital way to earn passive income. I wanted to avoid the overhead of investing and testing in a physical product business. I also enjoyed the flexibility to travel—one that didn’t require me to be at home fulfilling orders, managing inventory, etc.

I Googled different ways to earn passive income and found that blogging could be very profitable within a few years if done correctly.

I started to learn more about the blogging business and how to generate passive income via affiliate marketing and ad revenue.

This began with selecting a niche that wasn’t too competitive—e.g., focusing on a sub-niche within a broader niche to get more traffic and prove authority/expertise to Google–by doing some keyword research and analysis, determining what topic I could write at least 100+ articles and a niche that I wanted to grow/establish myself in.

I took a few courses to help me learn how to start a blogging business, develop my blogging strategy, and view this as a business rather than a side hobby.

These courses taught me about SEO, how to create a topical mapping (e.g., a plan to support your transactional posts—for example, money-making posts) with informational posts (which build authority and traffic), and which keywords to go after.

Right now, I’m learning more about writing sales copy and getting backlinks to help improve my domain authority to increase my post rankings by Google—to rank as one of the top three search listings on Google when searching for a specific keyword.

I love learning, testing to see what works, looking at my data to see how I can improve my posts, finding keywords to drive more traffic to my site, and seeing my business grow.

My future goal is to have the option to do this full-time, as well as generate enough revenue to feed back into my business to hire 1 or 2 writers to help my business grow.

Skincare

I’ve always been passionate and interested in learning about skincare products. What works and why? Is there any evidence to support marketing claims? Which ones will work best for my skin?

I’ve always struggled with acne and hyperpigmentation. While I was growing up, my family did not have the monetary means to see a dermatologist. So, I was reliant on trying various drugstore products to try to have clean skin. When I tried one product, it destroyed my skin, and I had to do a lot of research and testing to repair my skin barrier.

On another note, I was born in South Korea but was adopted when I was one year old. I grew up in a very small town in Pennsylvania in a predominately white neighborhood where few, if any, people looked like me.

Growing up, I hated being different and struggled with my ethnic identity. Even though I had a group of friends, I often felt alone, like an outsider who never really fit in.

I largely ignored my Korean heritage until I stumbled on Korean skin care. Learning more about their beauty philosophies, routines, and products was a gateway to exploring my Korean culture further and starting to accept/be proud of my Korean heritage.

I am now studying Korean. I have a tutor and took my first trip to Korea this year. I now have plans to visit every year moving forward.

So, my passion for skin care and helping others, my Korean heritage, and my drive to start a passive digital business all aligned with creating a skincare blogging business.

What kinds of topics do you cover? Why do you think it’s important to cover this kind of care? Do you interact with your readers?  

My blog content helps you to create a simple skincare routine that targets your unique skin.

Within my posts, I’ll share skincare routines for different skin types and concerns such as acne, hyperpigmentation, aging, sensitive skin, dehydrated skin, etc. I then infuse evidence/research to support my recommendations.

I’ll also provide product recommendations based on my experience and review the ingredient labels. I will also analyze customer feedback to give readers non-biased information to help them determine what products are worth trying and how to incorporate them into their routine.

Sharing this information with individuals is important since cutting through all the marketing hype makes it hard to determine if products are worth purchasing.

Also, with social media like TikTok, it can take time to find trustworthy information.

Since I’ve struggled with my skin, I’ve learned a lot over the years through my own experiences, including staying up-to-date with the latest trends, as well as always diving into the literature to debunk or validate claims.

If I were looking for this information, others would find it helpful.

The caring aspect of nursing still sticks with me. I love helping others and enabling individuals to make the best decisions based on the right information.

Did you have previous entrepreneurial experience? Or did you learn on the go? Did it take a lot of time or money to establish your business? How do you make money from this business? 

I’ve tried side hustles like Amazon FBA, and my husband and I started our own fitness company providing home workouts during COVID, but I’ve been learning on the go.

I spend a lot of time learning, testing, and figuring out which strategy will bring me the most value.

In each of my businesses, I’ve been able to earn a profit, which has been enough to cover the courses and the money I invested into each one—leaving a few thousand more to either invest in something new or pay for a few international trips.

Even though I’m no longer running my FBA and fitness business, I found the experience and knowledge invaluable.

I started my blogging business in October 2022, and I’ve had a little affiliate revenue come in, but I’m still early in my journey. It usually takes a few years to see all your work pay off, which is hard to do when you dedicate so much time and effort to your business.

What did you enjoy most about your side gig?

What I enjoy most is learning how to create and implement the best business strategy to see if it works. It’s so rewarding to see positive results and gain knowledge/skillsets you never thought you’d have.

For me, it’s proving that I’m smart and capable enough that if I put my mind to it and constantly learn, grow, and tweak it, I can one day be my own boss and validate that my decisions and work were successful. It’s helping me be more confident and prove my value/self-worth to myself.

What are some of the challenges?  

Blogging is a long-term play. It takes several years to see the fruits of your labor. Also, you question yourself if you’re making the right decisions. Unlike working with a team that can help validate or address any questions you have, it’s up to you to research and make those decisions on your own. So, you always have this little voice asking, “Did I choose the right niche? Am I focusing on the right content to write? Is this bringing value to my readers? etc.”

It also takes a lot of dedication and time. Since I work full-time, I work on my blog after work, early in the mornings, and on the weekends. Balancing my life, work, and business can be challenging.

What are the most significant rewards of having your side gig?

I’m learning and growing, and I hope it results in my ability to have more work-life balance, manage my schedule, and be my own boss one day. That possibility is exciting, and I am opening myself up to other professional opportunities that might come my way.

I hope that one day, I’ll collaborate with a few Korean skincare brands and use my business to help connect me more to my Korean culture and heritage.

What would you say to someone considering blogging about skincare or another topic?   

It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you’re willing to work, are open to learning, and want a passive business/income, go for it. It doesn’t mean it was a waste if it doesn’t work out.

You can apply what you’ve learned to your next venture. There is no such thing as failing because you always learn something valuable from that experience that you can leverage and apply in the future.

I recommend researching courses and learning about blogging as a business, SEO, and affiliate marketing as much as possible.

Be sure to avoid the “get rich quick schemes” like the ones that read, “I made $60,000 per month within my first three months of blogging.” They never work and are a waste of your time.”

A Day in the Life: Cardiac Nurse

A Day in the Life: Cardiac Nurse

The heart is a crucial part of our life and our world. There are songs about it, movies that focus on it—at least the love part, and without it, unlike other organs, we wouldn’t be able to survive.

So, what’s it like to be a nurse focusing on patient care with the heart?

We interviewed Caitlin Fetner RN, BSN, Cardiac nurse, University of Maryland Capital Region Health . (She’s also a proud military wife. Her husband is an officer in the U.S. Navy.)

What follows is our interview, edited for length and clarity.

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Caitlin Fetner RN, BSN, is a cardiac nurse at the University of Maryland Capital Region Health

How did you get interested in being a cardiac nurse? What drew you to it? How long have you been doing it?

I got interested in cardiology when I was still in nursing school. I studied at the University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing. Of all the different topics I studied in school, cardiology was my favorite.

I got a job after graduation in a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and haven’t looked back since. It was there that I learned more in-depth about cardiology, including cardiac catheterization, atrial fibrillation, post-cardiac arrest, and open-heart surgery.

I started on the night shift, and on slow nights, we would all sit with our notebooks and study hemodynamics and how to manage cardiac patients, specifically bypass patients. I have been a nurse for seven years and have loved every minute. I currently work with open-heart surgery patients.

A cardiac nurse takes care of your heart. We make sure your heart has everything it needs to function appropriately. If it is not functioning as it should, we step in with different therapies to help it get back to where it needs to be. We serve patients whose hearts beat in irregular rhythms to patients who need open heart surgery—and everything in between. We provide medications that help keep the heart in rhythm; we provide teaching and education so when patients go home, they know what to do, and we provide strength and encouragement to help patients get out of bed and walk those days after surgery.

Did you need to get additional education for this position? 

A BSN is the only educational requirement for this position, but there are different certifications you can get as a cardiac nurse, such as a CCRN and Critical Care Registered Nurse Certification. This certification requires a test that goes into more detail on how to care for ICU-level patients. After passing this exam, you could get a specific cardiac certification as well.

What do you like most about working as a cardiac nurse? 

What I like most is the delicate balance we manage between the patient’s vital signs and the medications being given. Whether it is medications running as drips or giving oral medications, the nurse must always be aware of what’s happening and how to change the medications accordingly. The heart and its’ function are a beautiful balance, and I love the challenge of managing it all.

What are your biggest challenges as a cardiac nurse? 

The biggest challenge is managing every detail—but it’s also what I love most. You must dot every I and cross every T and be on your toes all shift, but it’s worth it.

What are your greatest rewards as one? 

My greatest rewards are getting the patients up to walk after surgery who thought they couldn’t do it or seeing the patients who have been down long roads and hospital stays finally get to go home. Also, I love talking to and getting to know my patients.

Every patient has a story, and everyone can learn something from everyone. You never know the things you can learn just by talking to someone.

Anything else that is important for our readers to know?

Cardiac nursing is not for the faint of heart. Cardiac nursing is checking vitals for the slightest changes every minute, measuring EKG strips every few hours, and managing multiple drips that, if they were to run out, the patient’s blood pressure could drop quickly.

The heart function, blood pressure, and volume status are all delicate balances that must be monitored closely. Cardiac nursing is busy and sometimes exhausting, but ever so worth it at the end of the day to see the sickest patients go home to their families once more. That’s what nursing is all about.

A Day in the Life: Pediatric Kidney Transplant Manager

A Day in the Life: Pediatric Kidney Transplant Manager

Working in transplant programs can be challenging as life can move quite slowly for waiting patients and then suddenly speed up when an organ becomes available.

But have you ever wondered what it would be like to work in pediatric transplants?

We interviewed Gerri James, RN, BSN, CCTC (Certified Clinical Transplant Coordinator), manager of the Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health , and she told us all about what her job entails.

What follows is our interview, edited for length and clarity. 

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Gerri James, RN, BSN, CCTC, manager of the Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health

How did you get interested in working with the pediatric kidney transplant program? 

I started my nursing career on a surgical floor at a large academic program on the East Coast. We cared for patients waiting for organ transplants (liver and kidney) and those who had received transplants. Once I cared for these patients, I was hooked.  

What drew you to it? 

Transplantation is a fascinating and rewarding field! Witnessing the patients receive a second chance at life was–and still is–amazing. Transplantation is a miracle that, unfortunately, not every patient experiences.

How long have you been doing it? 

 I’ve been involved in transplants for approximately 35 years.

Please explain what you do as the Pediatric Kidney Transplant Manager. What types of patients do you serve—what ages and how are they approved to be in the program? 

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health has one of the country’s biggest and busiest pediatric kidney transplant programs. We care for patients from birth to up to age 18. For the newborns, we follow them closely until they are appropriate for a transplant evaluation. 

What do you provide for them? 

At the time of the referral to our Kidney Transplant Program, we reached out to the family to introduce ourselves and explain what to expect. We are meeting them at a very vulnerable and terrifying time of their lives. A big part of the conversation is deceased donor vs. living donor options.

We walk them through the evaluation process, the wait for a transplant, the transplant event, and their post-transplant life. My team also collaborates with many other disciplines to assist with travel and lodging, consults with other services, etc.–all in hopes of making the experience as easy as possible.

As the Transplant Manager, I wear many different hats. Transplantation is highly regulated and has many rules, and part of my job is to ensure we keep up with changes. I manage a large pre- and post-transplant team and participate in various meetings throughout the day. My role is unique as I have a full patient assignment (recipients and potential living kidney donors) and my manager’s responsibilities. My first love is patient care; I wouldn’t want to give it up!

Did you need to get additional education for this position? 

I had on-the-job training right out of nursing school. I was lucky enough to work at a world-renowned transplant center. Attending conferences is also imperative to keeping up-to-date on the latest in transplantation, an ever-evolving field. I learned and continue to learn from the very best every day!

What do you like most about working in your job? 

Every day is different, and there is always something to learn. I have the honor of helping parents/guardians navigate an unfamiliar world. Often, when they hear that their child needs a kidney transplant, they are devastated. I try to make this new journey a little less terrifying. Providing education and letting them know they are never alone is a big part of what I do.

What are your biggest challenges as the transplant manager? 

Time—there never seems to be enough of it. Another challenge is the lack of organ donors that are allocated to pediatric patients. Not every donor is appropriate for every child.

Many nurses might think this would be a tough job–how do you get through that? 

This is a tough job. It’s always hard to watch a child with a chronic illness. But, luckily in kidney transplants, most of the children do well and go on to enjoy a life free of dialysis.

However, most children will go on to need a second and maybe a third kidney transplant in their lifetime. We help prepare the families for future transplants while planning the first. 

What are your greatest rewards in your work? 

Watching a child not expected to survive, walk, or thrive running down the clinic hallway to hug me is incredible. Getting a graduation announcement or any big event following a transplant. Hearing how the family celebrates not needing dialysis, going on vacations, and living their best lives. I’m always so proud of these children and all of their accomplishments!

Anything else to add?

No one ever wants their child/loved one to need a transplant. I am blessed to be able to guide them through the process and take some of the stress away. I often tell the families, “Let me worry about that part. You have enough on your plate.”

Meeting the family where they are in the process is critical to a successful and trusting relationship. Educating them as to what to expect and being honest that the journey will have some bumps in the road is key.

Transplantation is a miracle and life-changing for those fortunate enough to receive an organ, as not everyone gets this opportunity due to the shortage of organs. Transplantation is a fascinating and rewarding field that significantly impacts patients’ and their families’ lives. Sign up to be an organ donor—it’s the greatest gift you’ll ever give!