Externs programme in hospital

I graduated from Trinitas this past January. I did an extern program at Rahway Hospital last summer. It's a nice small hospital. I know St. Barnabas, Christ Hospital, Hackensack offer extern programs. You should try calling around to different hospitals to see if they offer an extern program. If you're looking for a job while you're in nursing school, you should try for Robert Wood Johnson in New Brunswick if it's not too far from you. If you work there as a CCT (Clinical Care Tech), you get a lot of experience. I met a girl there who was working as a CCT while in nursing school and she said that they let you do foleys, NG tubes, draw blood, and a lot of other things. She said that a lot of the CCT's are nursing students, so that sounds pretty good.

RWJUH at New Brunswick does NOT allow you to put in foleys or NGs, those are for RNs only. They may allow the removal of foleys. I am not even sure about the NG tubes. Yes, they do draw blood on pts. They can do autolets, intake/outputs etc. They also do frequent VS documentation with a dinemap or similar electronic device---they do NOT teach how to take a manual B/P anymore. Our intensive care unit CCTs can also set up A line equipment, SWAN equipment, set up tube feeding bags, check code carts, check equipment, restock some emergency equipment. Nothing however, can be attached to the patient by the CCT. Personally as a CCU nurse I did not want the tech to be doing those things unless it was a true emergency and I was NOT able to set it up myself as I always had to spend the time to trouble shoot what they had setup anyway so the time saved was very negliable. My biggest need was that they help wash, turn, answer call bells, and give that personal care--like shaving, washing hair, putting on TED stockings, recleaning soiled patients etc. Drawing blood was also something they could help with BUT many patients have lines that can be drawn from and only the RN could do that. Running errands to the lab, pharmacy was also a big help. Now, mind you as a critical care RN I do absolutetly all of the above also BUT if I have one patientwho is requiring the majority of my time due to acuity (chest pain, titrating drips, ventilators, IABPs, CVVHD, etc) and the other patient (because we generally do have more than 1 patient) is more stable but it only requiring personal care than I appreciate the CCT to help me with that.