While in in Nursing school almost everyone thinks by applying for and working as a nurse externship is the best way to go about getting your feet in the door but what they don't understand is that since that position doesn't necessary guaranteed you getting your first nursing job for some hospitals, it can actually hurt you when you apply elsewhere. What makes this statement a fact ? you wonder. Well I am starting to think the hospitals that are not giving their nurse externs a RN positions is hurt your career since employers now are looking for anything that seems questionable , first they are going to wonder if even the hospital you did an externship at didn't hire you, why should we? There can be so many reason why a nurse extern did not get an offer; first it could of been that you interview skills are not up to par, or the hospital decide to become a magnate hospital while you only have a ASN, or it maybe that you are not in the in crowd of who knows who, and so many other things can play a part.
But all I can say to all the hospitals that are giving nursing students a chance to work as a CNA but call it nurse externship should consider that it takes a very dedicated person to do such jobs, please take that in consideration and change your policies on not hiring on your muse externs because it only hurts us not helping at all.
