I wasn’t convinced I even needed LinkedIn.

When I started my entrepreneurial journey, I was more focused on designing my website and building my brand, so LinkedIn wasn’t my priority. I felt like my ideal audience would find me without it anyway. Actually in all honesty, I was even discouraged from using it by a mentor.

But something kept pulling me back. I knew there were nurses on LinkedIn — peers, mentors, potential clients — who were showing up, engaging, and building businesses. If they were there, I wanted to be there too.

So, after much deliberation, I created my LinkedIn account, optimized my profile as best as I could, and started making connections. I had no idea I was about to stumble upon an incredible LinkedIn community of nurses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers who would change the way I viewed networking on this platform.

And that’s exactly how I met Kerrin Maher, a fellow nurse and freelance health writer.

We connected over our shared experiences — what it’s like to be a freelance nurse writer, the power of building a LinkedIn community over simply chasing business opportunities, and what it means to create a career that aligns with your dream life.

Transforming Your Nurse-Owned Business Through Your LinkedIn Community

LinkedIn has traditionally been viewed as a digital resume and job-searching platform for corporate roles, a place for lead generation, and cold pitching. That reputation has made most nurses hesitant to use it.

But LinkedIn is so much more than any of that (or at least it can be).

This platform can be used as a place to build genuine relationships, collaborate with like-minded professionals, and grow both personally and professionally — even I didn’t fully grasp its potential … until I started engaging with others.

For Kerrin, connecting with nurses on LinkedIn was the reason she discovered freelance writing in the first place. 🤯

Kerrin graduated with her BSN in December 2020, right as the second wave of COVID-19 surged (yikes!). She had initially planned to become a physical therapist, but the fast-paced nature of nursing pulled her in. The reality of pandemic nursing, however, was overwhelming to say the least.

Thrown into chaotic hospital conditions as a new nurse with little training, she found herself managing up to nine patients at a time. Long shifts without breaks, physical assaults from patients, and unrelenting stress took a toll.

It wasn’t until she broke her ankle and was forced to take three months off that she had time to reflect on what she really wanted. During that downtime, she stumbled upon a LinkedIn post from a fellow nurse writer and realized that freelance health writing could be a way to continue educating patients — without the burnout. Within three short weeks, Kerrin dove headfirst into health writing, researching agencies, setting up a business, and even landing her first clients.

That’s the power of having a LinkedIn community.

And honestly, building community first is more important than ever these days. The pandemic accelerated the shift toward remote work and the rise of AI made for uninspired and unoriginal content flooding all digital platforms, making it difficult to build real and meaningful relationships.

As a nurse stepping into entrepreneurship for the first time, I can bet that the importance of making your business human-centered drives you more than anything else. So by connecting with nurses on LinkedIn and building a real community there, you can find some pretty rad humans making a positive impact in the world and be able to virtually support one another through challenging times.

The Benefits of Building Community on LinkedIn

1. Finding Your People & Creating Genuine Opportunities

One of the biggest mistakes nurses make is thinking they have to figure everything out alone. But the truth is, success doesn’t happen in isolation — it happens through connections.

LinkedIn makes it easy to find and engage with people who get it — nurses who are also building businesses, transitioning into new careers, or simply looking for meaningful conversations beyond the bedside. The more you interact, the more you naturally attract mentors, collaborators, and even potential clients — without feeling like you're constantly "networking."

For Kerrin, the nurses on LinkedIn became a lifeline when she started freelance writing. She found a well-known nurse writer, took her course, and realized she wasn’t alone in her journey. Those connections fast-tracked her learning and helped her break into the industry much faster than if she had gone it alone.

If you’ve ever felt like no one in your life understands what you’re trying to build, your people are already on LinkedIn — you just have to reach out.

2. Building Authority & Attracting the Right Opportunities

For nurses and nurse entrepreneurs, credibility is everything. Whether you're offering services, launching a business, or trying to position yourself as a thought leader, people need to trust you before they’ll hire you, refer you, or work with you.

The fastest way to build that trust? Show up and share what you know.

LinkedIn allows you to:

Share insights and experiences that position you as an expert.
Engage with industry leaders so you’re seen in the right circles.
Offer value to your network so when someone needs what you offer, they think of you first.

Kerrin didn’t wait until she had years of experience before sharing her thoughts. She put herself out there, engaged in conversations, and posted content that reflected her expertise as a nurse and writer. And because of that, opportunities started coming to her.

She didn’t have to cold pitch her way into jobs — her LinkedIn community already saw her value and wanted to work with her.

3. Opening Doors to Unexpected Career Paths, Business Success, & New Income Streams

One of the most underrated benefits of LinkedIn for nurses is that it can expose you to career paths you didn’t even know existed.

Many nurses think their options are limited to bedside care, management, or academia. But LinkedIn introduces you to nurses who are:

Freelance writers educating the public on health topics.
Legal Consultants helping lawyers navigate complicated medical jargon.
Entrepreneurs running coaching programs, digital courses, tech companies, and more.
Public speakers and activists advocating for change in the industry.

Before Kerrin joined LinkedIn, she didn’t even know health writing was a legitimate career path for nurses — let alone one she could break into so quickly. But by engaging with the right people, she saw firsthand what was possible, took action, and built an entirely new career for herself.

Sooo, if you’re feeling stuck in your nursing career, LinkedIn could be just the place you need to discover new ways to use your skills, find work that excites you, and create opportunities you never imagined.

How to Actually Build Community on LinkedIn

Creating a LinkedIn profile is easy. Building a LinkedIn community that actually supports, inspires, and opens doors for you? That takes a little more dedication and intention.

The good news is you really don’t need fancy growth hacks or to spend hours glued to your screen. All you’ve really gotta do is consistently show up in a way that feels real, valuable, and aligned with your goals.

Here’s how to do just that:

1. Optimize Your Profile To Attract the Right People

Your LinkedIn profile is the first impression someone has of you. And since people decide whether to connect with you in like 2.7 seconds or less, you really want to make those seconds count.

Here’s how to stand out and attract the right people:

Write a compelling headline that clearly states what you do and who you serve. I may even skip the boring “Registered Nurse” title and opt for a headline that’s wayyy more specific to what you actually offer (okay, okay, I know nurses are alllll about their acronyms so you can keep the “RN” in your name 😅).
Use your summary to tell your story. Highlight your skills, experience, and what makes you different but write it in a way that makes it intriguing and interesting (not just a list of your accolades).
Sprinkle in industry-relevant keywords so the right people can find you when they search for professionals like you (it’s not just a Google thing — LinkedIn and social media in general also use keywords).
Fill out every section of your profile. Incomplete profiles feel like half-baked resumes, and that’s definitely not the vibe you want.
Customize your LinkedIn URL. It makes you easier to find and looks much cleaner when sharing your profile.

Kerrin’s take: “If your profile isn’t complete and professional, it’s a missed opportunity. A well-optimized profile makes you look legit and shows people you take your work seriously.”

2. Engage Authentically (No Sales-y Vibes, Please)

A lot of people treat LinkedIn like either a resume archive or a place for cold pitching — but that’s not how you build a community. LinkedIn is a social network, which means that engagement is everything.

And let’s be real — literally nobody likes a connection request followed by an immediate pitch. (Biggest LinkedIn turnoff!) Instead, focus on being an actual living, breathing human first.

Here’s how to engage in a way that feels natural and builds real connections:

Comment on posts from peers, industry leaders, and potential clients. But please, for the love of community, don’t write your comments using AI. Be genuine and real — it will get you so much farther.
Share content that provides value. This could be a short post about a lesson you learned, an article you wrote, or even a personal story that others can relate to.
Start real conversations. Ask questions, reply to comments, and engage beyond surface-level reactions.
Send DMs with intention. Instead of immediately pitching services, introduce yourself, start a dialogue, and find common ground.

Kerrin nailed this approach when she started freelancing. Instead of sending out cold messages begging for work, she focused on starting conversations. She introduced herself, asked questions, and genuinely connected with people in her industry. That strategy helped her land clients — without ever feeling like she was selling.

3. Nurture Your Relationships (Because People Matter)

Your goal in building a LinkedIn community shouldn’t be about collecting followers. After all, you wouldn’t meet someone at a networking event, exchange business cards, and then never follow up, right? The same rule applies here.

Here’s how to nurture relationships and turn connections into actual opportunities:

Check in with your network regularly. Send a quick message, comment on their latest post, or share something that reminded you of them.
Celebrate wins and milestones. Congratulate connections on job changes, promotions, or big achievements — it goes a long way.
Offer support and encouragement. Whether it’s a comment, a DM, or a share, small actions make a big impact.

For Kerrin, staying engaged with her network led to unexpected collaborations, referrals, and new opportunities. She didn’t just connect and disappear — she kept the conversation going. And because of that, her LinkedIn presence naturally grew, bringing in more opportunities without her having to chase them.

Final Thoughts on Building a Meaningful LinkedIn Community

If you’re waiting for the perfect moment to put yourself out there, launch your business, or build your LinkedIn community, here’s the truth: there is no perfect time. The only difference between those who succeed and those who stay stuck is the willingness to take that first step — even when it feels messy, uncomfortable, or uncertain.

Kerrin didn’t have it all figured out when she started freelance writing. She didn’t have years of experience, a perfect portfolio, or a guarantee that it would work. But she took action anyway, and that decision changed everything.

In discussing what advice she might have for nurses on LinkedIn, Kerrin simply explains, "You just have to start. There will never be a perfect time to start your entrepreneurial journey. You truly have to dive in headfirst. I promise you won’t regret it."

So whether it’s optimizing your LinkedIn profile, reaching out to a new connection, or sharing your first post — just start. Your future self will thank you.