Anyone working as a student nurse???

colleen10 · Apr 5, 2004

Hi Cali,

I am a second semester nursing student and will be partaking in a "Student Nurse Externship" this summer with a local hospital. I am very excited about it as I have heard these types of positions really give you a lot of hands on experience.

During my interview for the position I was told that as a student nurse I will have a preceptor and work their schedule for the summer. I will be able to do just about anything that the nurse does, under their supervision, except pass meds. and my understanding is that for the state of Pa that is our law.

I hope that once the externship is over I'll be able to get a position with the hospital as a Patient Care Tech or Aide.

I wish I had more information to give you but I won't start the externship til the middle of May. I believe that the job responsibilities of such positions as Student nurse, aide, etc. vary from state to state.

twarlik · Apr 5, 2004

I'm in my second semester and work as an extern at a local hospital. I basically function as a tech, but the nurses allow me to do other things. I occassionally give injections, check blood sugars and a few other things I'm technically "not allowed" to do. Most of the time I make beds, empty bed pans and do lots of dirty work. It's been a great experience and has given me a lot of confidence. I highly recommend that anyone who has an opportunity to work during nursing school do it.

Good luck.

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Apr 5, 2004

In my first semester here. We don't have "extern" positions at the local hospitals. I'm employed as a patient care tech doing nursing assistant work but get some extra added experience helping out with foleys and dressings. Where I work the PCTs also do the blood draws.

Generally in my local area you get hired for these kinds of positions when you've finished your first semester or if you've taken a course but for some reason, I got recruited two weeks into my first clinical rotation.

suzy253, RN · Apr 5, 2004

Not working now but I'm hoping to pick up some work after I finish this semester. Hospital(s) require two clinical rotations before you can work as a student nurse assistant.

PennyLane, RN · Apr 5, 2004

I work as a Clinical Nurse Intern at a nearby hospital. I'm basically a tech, but there are other things I can do if I'm supervised. I'm responsible for all finger sticks (it's an ICU so most patients get finger sticks even if they don't have DM), plus the basic tech duties like meals, toileting, EKGs, etc. I've also insterted foleys and flushed and drawn blood from central lines. No passing of meds or suctioning vented/trached patients. In the ER the techs there draw blood and do other more invasive procedures.

LauraLou · Apr 6, 2004

I think it depends what type of positions hospitals in your area offer. I will be working as a Nurse Extern this summer, which is the same duties as a CNA but it is for students who have completed at least their first semester of nursing school. I will be taking vs, changing linens, emptying Foley's, ambulating patients, etc.

Some hospitals have more structured student nurse positions where you do "real nurse" stuff, like bandage changes and startings IV's. You usually have to be a senior to qualify, at least in my area you do.

Since I have no previous medical experience, I was happy to take whatever position they were willing to give me.

Good luck!

Califlower · Oct 27, 2005

Does anyone have info on what hospitals (in the So Cal area) are hiring student nurses as CNA's or PCA's?

lunakat · Oct 28, 2005

I just started working in a local ER as a student extern. Since my friend and I appear to be the 1st they have had, we are kind of winging it. So far we have been with a preceptor but I don't know how long that will be for. We can do anything we have been checked off for in clinical (foley, meds ect.) However, we cannot hang blood and we can't do IV stuff with out an RN present. So i guess we are kinda of extra help but not having our own pts maybe like a cross between a tech and a nurse with focus mainly on the nursing aspect...

Califlower-How what area of so cal?

Animaniacs, BSN, RN · Oct 28, 2005

I'm so pissed off that I can't get a student nurse extern job. I must have sent in 10 applications in the last year alone. What the hell am I doing wrong. I heard that to get a job, you need to know someone from the inside of the hospital that can hook you up, either that or you gotta have plenty of work experience. Shoot my record is clean as hell, no felonies or misdemeanors.

That totally blows I think. What the hell do I have to do to get a job there, I did everything I could, I contacted human resources, no luck on getting the number for the manager, that totally blows again. Here I am, working at Taco Bell while finishing up my last year in nursing school. Unbelievable

But yeah, working as a student nurse extern is very beneficial, you will get plenty of experience. Experiences that I wish I could experience to improve my nursing skills.

Califlower · Oct 29, 2005

Lunakat -- I live about 10 miles from Los Angeles. I know some hospitals have jobs posted on their employment webpage, but not too many. I don't want to float, or end up doing mostly paperwork or something like that -- I may not be able to do procedures, but it would be ideal if I got to observe something now and then... I was thinking maybe in an ER or maybe surgery.

nurse4theplanet, RN · Oct 29, 2005

I landed a great extern job in the ICU. I work second shift, which is super laid back because usually its just the nurses and the pts...docs, PT, and such have already gone home. The nurses allow me to do just about anything as long as they can supervise. I give shots, IV pushes, IV meds, hang blood...you name it! It is fantastic! They will ask my opinion about what I think is going on, what would I do if this happened, etc. It has been an amazing learning experience.