Anyone doing a summer externship??

[Gator,SN]

If, so how is that going?

Hello to all! I was curious to know if anyone is/has completed a summer externship and if so, how was it? A few classmates are currently doing this at my place of employment. When this was advertised, it was said to be a learning experience which included some classroom instruction for a few weeks, an observation rotation through areas of special interest, (peds, OB, OR, etc..) and then shadowing an RN for 6 weeks......however, the students have done NOTHING except work as nursing assistants thus far, and only have 2 weeks to go. ( they are required to attend classroom sessions 2x a week and have been doing so)

A few others who applied at another hospital are enjoying it a lot. They have the opportunity to observe/ask questions and use some of the skills they learned in class. They feel like this is going to help them quite a bit especially when we return for Med/surg 2 rotation in the fall.

The students at my employer were all CNA's at a local nursing home. Now they have put off vacations, and their reliable jobs for this.........

How did your rotation through this turn out?? The hospital gets reimbersed 30% of the students work study grant..... and yet they are not learning a thing!!!!

Please tell what your summer extership was like.......:)

Thanks,

Gator:cool:

[jessjoy]

I am doing a summer externship and it's great! At first I followed a nurse around and they would ask me questions re:drugs, basic nursing, etc. Now I am taking three patients on my own. I rotate to different units. I have worked Cardiac, Ortho, Oncology and ER. I even got to work the fast track in the ER. Honestly, I have learned more doing this than in all my clinical time put together!! I guess it all depends on the hosptial you choose and how they set up their extern program.

[Debbie5]

I am interested in doing an externship but I need more info. Is it only for students enrolled in a nursing program? I haven't gotten that far yet. Can you shadow a nurse without being part of the externship? How would I go about getting info?