Do you work as a registered nurse? Congratulations on choosing a rewarding field, where you can really make a difference in people's lives. If you would like to make your career more gratifying monetarily, in addition to spiritually, read on. Here are three ways you can make more money as an RN, so you can enjoy a better lifestyle, have greater security in your senior years, and pay off any school loans from your training.

Take On Extra Work

The easiest way right now to make more money as a nurse is take on extra work. In many communities there is a high demand for nurses, so you can find positions that aren't too draining on top of your existing job. To make your search more efficient, try using a placement service or agency to do some of the filtering for you, for jobs like

• nursing home RN
• immunization clinic nurse
• substitute school nurse
• per diem shift (filling in by the day for other nurses out sick or on vacation or when an institution is understaffed)
• medical transcription (may need an additional transcription course or experience)
• telenurse for remote health care
• home health care

Other possibilities include teaching first aid or CPR. You can take additional training, with a minimum time commitment, to become a CPR instructor and even teach physicians who need to recertify at the health care provider level.

If you fancy working from home, you should consider medical coding, for which you need certification but for which there is high demand. You could also write about nursing, either for outside clients or on your own blog that makes money through website advertisers.

Of course, if you have the energy, there's always the option of pulling double shifts or taking unpopular shifts (like during holidays) at your current place of employment. You can often receive extra overtime pay for this work.

Get a Master of Science in Nursing Degree

Long term, a better strategy to increase your income may be to consider obtaining an advanced degree. If you enjoyed earning your RN and hold a Bachelor's degree, you may equally like studying for a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree.

An MSN degree gives you more options career-wise. To move into advance practice positions, like nurse midwife, nurse anesthetist, or nurse practitioner, you will need to have an MSN. The good news is these careers pay more than RNs make, and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics maintains that the demand for these types of nurses will increase by 31 percent through the year 2024.

You can also teach nursing for many institutions by having an MSN degree--another great way to make money on top of your full-time job.

Get a Master of Business Administration Degree

Another optional advanced degree is a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Combining an MBA program with your RN lets you work on the business side of health care. Potential employers include

• HMOs, PPOs, and other health care organizations
• private clinics
• hospital administrations
• manufacturers of health care products
• pharmaceutical industry

You'll take MBA courses in accounting, marketing, business planning, and information technology, for example, which you can then apply to the health care industry. There are now many options for weekend, evening, and online MBA programs, so you don't have to quit your regular job for an advanced degree.

If you love nursing as a career, why not make more money doing what you enjoy? Try one of these routes above, and you'll not only have a satisfying work life, you'll have a higher bank balance too.