Why More Nurses Are Becoming Entrepreneurs—and What I’ve Learned Along the Way

Three years ago, I started Pittsburgh Mobile Footcare, a nurse practitioner owned business that cares for local seniors who need routine foot care services. Prior to the go live launch, I frankly wasn’t sure what to expect. Admittedly, I was nervous about how this would go. Despite having been a nurse practitioner for over 20 years and having an MBA degree, there was still a part of me that felt like I wasn’t formally invited to the entrepreneur party. Maybe I wouldn’t belong? What if things don’t go as planned? Today, I have a full book of appointments and am ready to hire my first nurse.

Here are some of my reflections and what I have learned:

Nursing school gave me a strong foundation—structure, discipline, critical thinking, and the ability to communicate clearly with people during some of their most vulnerable moments. Like many nurses, my education prepared me well for bedside care, research, and traditional healthcare roles. What it didn’t focus on, however, were alternative paths—particularly entrepreneurship. For a long time, I didn’t even consider business ownership as something nurses did. But over time, and through experience, that perspective began to change.

A Solid Education—With a Specific Focus

Traditional nursing education does many things exceptionally well. It teaches clinical judgment, evidence-based practice, time management, and how to work with all types of people in high-stress situations. These are not small skills—they are foundational. However, nursing school is primarily designed around bedside care, academia, and research. Business ownership, consulting, and nontraditional healthcare careers are rarely discussed, even though the skill sets nurses develop translate well beyond the hospital walls.

Real Life After Graduation: When “Life Happens”

After graduation, reality sets in quickly. Many nurses find themselves needing to support themselves or a family, relying on steady paychecks, health benefits, and predictable schedules. Long shifts, emotional fatigue, and personal responsibilities leave little time or energy to explore new ideas. Even nurses who are curious about business or alternative careers often push those thoughts aside, telling themselves they’ll revisit them “someday.”

Why Today Looks Different

Fast forward to today, and the landscape has changed. We live in a social media–driven world with open access to information and exposure. Free or low-cost education on business, marketing, and finance is everywhere. Nurses can now see peers building businesses, consulting practices, and niche services—often starting small and growing intentionally. Exposure matters. Seeing what’s possible makes the idea of entrepreneurship feel less distant and more attainable.

What I’ve Learned from Starting a Business

Stepping into entrepreneurship has been both challenging and rewarding. Along the way, I’ve learned a few lessons that may resonate with other nurses:

• Nurses Already Have Rare and Valuable Skills. Trust, credibility, clinical expertise, problem-solving, and empathy are hard-earned traits. People naturally seek nurses out for guidance and advice.

• No One is Going to Give You Permission. Aside from having an RN license and registering your business, there’s no formal approval process for starting a business as long as you are working within your RN scope of practice. Waiting for the “right time” or external validation often means years of planning or never starting at all.

• Imposter Syndrome is Real. Even experienced nurses can feel out of place knowing the clinical side of healthcare but not the business side. The feeling of “am I really supposed to be here or allowed to be here?” is real. That feeling of not knowing everything or being 100% prepared is a common sentiment among nurses entering business.

• Individual Planning Matters but Seek Mentorship. Thoughtful planning reduces risk but having mentors and trusted advisors makes the process far less overwhelming. Proactive preparation and analysis can mitigate risk and save aspiring entrepreneurs from costly mistakes. I started with the local SCORE mentor program, and this relationship was incredibly valuable and made me accountable to develop my business plan. Everyone needs a trusted team of professionals to help us through our blind spots.

• It Doesn’t Have to Cost a Fortune to Begin. Many service-based businesses can start lean. You don’t need a massive investment to test a thoughtful idea. You also shouldn’t quit your day job. There can be great opportunity in starting small and testing your ideas on a part-time basis during off hours, evenings or weekends.

• Entrepreneurship Requires a Mindset Shift. Owning a business means making decisions without certainty, learning from mistakes, and accepting responsibility beyond a job description. You now have to think like a CEO.

• Don’t Let Perfect be the Enemy of Good. Nurses are trained to be thorough and precise, which can lead to overthinking. Progress often comes from action, not perfection. There are clearly things that need to be planned out and researched but there are also smaller tasks that need to be completed swiftly. Nurses are often our own worst enemies when planning for activities. Our expectations for care are often much higher than the public and sometimes this slows us down.

• Learning Business Skills is an Investment in Yourself. Accounting, marketing, organizational systems, and social media may feel foreign at first, but investing time learning will increase confidence and performance.

Finding a Real Problem to Solve

When I started my own business, I didn’t chase trends or flashy ideas. Instead, I focused on finding a real problem—one that was unsolved or underserved. In my work, I saw how many seniors struggled to access basic foot care due to mobility issues, transportation barriers, or limited availability of providers. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was necessary.

That approach reflects a blue-collar mindset: practical, gritty, and focused on real needs. People are willing to pay for solutions that genuinely improve their daily lives. Building a business around service, not hype, has been one of the most grounding lessons of my journey.

A Word of Encouragement to Other Nurses

Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone—and that’s okay. But more nurses are capable of it than they realize. Even exploring the idea builds skills that carry over into leadership, management, and personal growth. You don’t need to have everything figured out. Small, intentional steps count.

Nursing teaches us how to care for others. Sometimes, entrepreneurship is about learning to invest in ourselves—and trusting that the skills we already have can take us further than we think.

Justin Engleka is a nurse entrepreneur and founder of Pittsburgh Mobile Footcare. More information is available at www.pghfeet.com.

Twenty-five years ago, Justin began his career as a hospice RN, providing care for Western Pennsylvanians suffering from terminal illnesses. Several years later, he completed his master’s degree and obtained dual certification as a Geriatric and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner. Since that time, he has cared for thousands of patients with serious and chronic illnesses. This includes caring for patients in their own homes, hospitals, and nursing facilities. ​ Justin realized that there are many gaps in healthcare today, especially for our vulnerable seniors at home. He founded Pittsburgh Mobile Footcare with the vision of providing high quality routine footcare to patients in need. In recent years, insurance regulations and the lack of home podiatry services have made adequate foot health challenging for many individuals. As chronic care shifts to the home, we are focused on providing a valuable service to seniors and other clients who prefer their care in the home, or other convenient settings. ​ On a personal note, Justin was raised and currently lives in the Greater Pittsburgh area. He enjoys time with family and friends, visiting the Laurel Highlands, volunteering with local youth sports groups, and watching all Pittsburgh sports.

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