Any ideas?

[cardiac~lover]

Hi everyone! I'm still a little new to this site, but loving it so far. There is so much great advice and information posted!

I am enrolled in a one year LPN program at a local community college. I am 3 weeks into my 3rd quarter. We have been doing clinicals once a weeks since the first quarter. First quarter we were in a long term care center where we were little more than aides, no drug passing- just simple dressing changes, head to toes and pt care. Second quarter was the same thing with 2 of those passing meds. This quarter we are on a med/surg unit in the local hospital. We are doing head to toes, passing meds, doing some skills, and a LOT of charting and busy book work.

My question is..... this being a one year certificate applying for an externship is out of the question. I would love to be able to shadow a nurse in different fields/units if only for a day or so. I have an idea of what I want long term (hence the name), but would love to be able to look into different aspects. Any ideas?

[rhondaa83]

I think that you should talk to your instructor from the hospital for your med surg rotation and ask her if you could ask other departments, lets say ( CARDIAC ) if you can shadow a nurse for the day. I work in LTC and a new RN shadowed in our department for a day, and it was completely fine with our DON. That person chose to go into the med surg floor, and after almost 3 months, she would like to go back to the LTC becasue it was LESS stressful. When I finally become an RN I will not be shy in asking to shadow someone. That I think is how you really have an idea on what to expect. my 2 cents. Rhonda

[rotteluvr31, ADN, RN]

I am not sure where you are located, but I don't understand why an externship is out of the question. Our 2 yr. ADN program is a bridge where you can get your LPN after the first year, then continue on to get your ADN. Many people, myself included, have been able to get externships after completing the first year. The hope is to be hired in that dept. after graduation in May, but there are no guarantees.

Maybe contact the HR dept and find out just what are the qualifications to get an externship - maybe you will even find one on a cardiac floor!

[cardiac~lover]

I am in Ohio. The reason I assumed it out of the question is because I will graduate in March and I guess the view I have on externships is 6 to 8 weeks during the summer somewhere. I plan on immediately going on to the bridge program which is an LPN to ADN. I did talk to my instructor today at clinicals and she assured me I would get at least one 6 hour clinical session to shadow a nurse on our floor. I was excited, because this is what I'm looking for, but on the other hand it's a med/surg floor and I want a taste of things outside my comfort zone. I'll take what I can though. I may get into contact with the HR dept at the hosp. though. Thanks guys.

[rotteluvr31, ADN, RN]

I used to live in Ohio, and attended Kent State about a million years ago - or so it seems anyway :chuckle

Now I am in WI, and many of the hospitals here offer year round externships - some I know of are on the Med/surg where they work maybe one RN extern shift, and then other shifts are CNA depending on how many hours they need to work/week. Other hospitals have different things - I work as an extern in the ICU and do 24 hrs/wk. I work 2-12's over the weekend. I started at the end of May and will be there all school year.

Good luck!