How was your Externship ?

Nursing Students General Students

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Anything good / bad to share.

My experience was mostly pleasant. One thing though...I was told during the interview, that I would be guaranteed 24hrs / week....but that it should not be difficult to get more hours. The additional hours never happened. So I was making a lot less than i originally planned for.

Also, I wish I had an opportunity to experience one other floor just so I can compare and contrast the areas.

Just trying to help those that are looking to apply for an Externship later.

Please share your experience. Is there anything you can suggest to improve your Externship program ? What did you appreciate most about the program ?

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Did mine in the CICU mainly. Floated a few days to MSICU. Did well over 40 hours a week and loved every bit of it. My preceptor threw me into the response team so anytime a trauma/code/RRT or assist was called I had to respond. I was certainly put into some amazing and scary situations through the whole thing. The only thing I could complain about was it didnt last long enough through the summer.

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Did mine in the CICU mainly. Floated a few days to MSICU. Did well over 40 hours a week and loved every bit of it. My preceptor threw me into the response team so anytime a trauma/code/RRT or assist was called I had to respond. I was certainly put into some amazing and scary situations through the whole thing. The only thing I could complain about was it didnt last long enough through the summer.

Cool !

I was on a Post Op Orthopedics unit. One day out of the 10wks, they sent me to Urology. Big difference in the two floors. Ortho was more physical between ambulating patients, Lifting this or shifting that. Urology was a less physical floor.

Also, every now and then the floor would get med/surg patients which was also cool.

Did you choose ICU or did the recruiter place you ?

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

We had to go in and interview with the managers of every unit all at once and they put a bid in for the people that they wanted in their specific unit. That was a nerve wracking experience but that is how the interview process goes for when you are hired on so it kind of prepared me for that as well. We were then offered a place and we could either accept or deny, hoping another unit wanted to pick you up.I wasnt about to pass that one up! It was what I wanted so it all worked out for the best. My class was scattered everywhere but ER and peds so we would get together every week and talk about the crazy stuff that we saw.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
My class was scattered everywhere but ER and peds so we would get together every week and talk about the crazy stuff that we saw.

Do you have any idea why they did not allow externs on peds? As someone who runs an extern program in a children's hospital, I am curious.

Also, I hope you get lots of responses to this thread. I'd love to hear what people have to say about what was valuable to them and what was not.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.
Do you have any idea why they did not allow externs on peds? As someone who runs an extern program in a children's hospital, I am curious.

Also, I hope you get lots of responses to this thread. I'd love to hear what people have to say about what was valuable to them and what was not.

Our hospital is on the smaller as we are in a kind of rural area and the patient census is generally really low in that unit so they always think that they wont get enough hours. Getting through our peds rotation can get tricky as it is. Plus the nurses on that unit are not lets say the nicest you run across.

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I haven't started NS yet...starts end of September but I am curious? What is an externship? And, how does one go about getting into one?

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An externship is a paid summer job for a nursing student. You apply and interview for an externship program just like a job. Externship spots are very limited and therefore extremely competitive to land. Students who have completed externships are always first on any hospital's list of potential hires (so I've heard), as they have far more clinical experience than their classmates.

I'm currently doing an externship at a large NYC hospital. I was assigned to a med-surg geriatric-metabolic floor. It has been a wonderful experience, you learn so much more when you have 6-7 patients to care for rather than just one in clinical. I've had tons more practice on skills I'd performed in clinical, and learned skills that I either hadn't had a chance to do in clinical, or aren't on the syllabus until next year in Nursing School. Not only are my skills ahead of the game but I learned about diagnoses we will be covering this fall, so I'll really be well prepared. And the best part was that I got to spend the summer caring for patients :nurse:

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I worked 12 hours 3x a week. It was one of the best experiences in my life, as Im aware it was such a rare opportunity.

I was an extern in a critical care--cardiac floor. Learning and having the chance to work with the advanced equipments was one of the things I enjoyed. My preceptor was very informative, and I was in awe by the vast knowledge and critical thinking skills of the nurses there.

The externship experience was a great treasure. Remembering the nurses there motivates me.

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We had to go in and interview with the managers of every unit all at once and they put a bid in for the people that they wanted in their specific unit. That was a nerve wracking experience but that is how the interview process goes for when you are hired on so it kind of prepared me for that as well. We were then offered a place and we could either accept or deny, hoping another unit wanted to pick you up.I wasnt about to pass that one up! It was what I wanted so it all worked out for the best. My class was scattered everywhere but ER and peds so we would get together every week and talk about the crazy stuff that we saw.

My hospital allowed Externs in Peds and ER....but were more selective for the ER unit. Those that had EMT/EMS experience were chosen for these areas.

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I haven't started NS yet...starts end of September but I am curious? What is an externship? And, how does one go about getting into one?

and this is why I wanted to start this thread.

When I first started NS...Externships was mentioned a lot but I had no clue on what it was.

Keep your grades up....the Externship I applied to required a 3.0 minimum GPA. Couple hundred applicants applied for 30 positions.

and try to get close to all your Profs....you may need one to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf.

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Are externships usually posted online on the website, or should I call around to see who is offering one during summer? And is it only during summer? Thanks!

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