Critical/Trauma Care Internship

[NurseyofMercy]

I am going to graduate in a few months with a BSN. I saw a flyer for an trauma/critcal care paid internship. It is for a hospital out of state but I am thinking about applying. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with these types of internships. What are the Pros and Cons? What are the benefits? Do they help you get ahead? How competitive are they? What type of commitments will I be expected to make if I get accepted into an internship?

Thanks!

[Liss RN]

Internships/residencies are great opportunities. You typically get a few months of time working with a preceptor and possibly additional classroom training. They offer a lot more support for new grads than typical orientations do. I'm a new grad and have applied to several of these. The problem is they are very competitive, many I have applied to have had hundreds of applicants. They usually require a few letters of recommendation and a GPA of at least a 3.0. The good thing for you is that you will have your BSN- I've seen that many of these internships prefer BSN grads. Also, because they are such good programs for new grads, some hospitals do require a commitment from you that you will work for them for a certain amount of time. I've seen some require 1 year, 2 year, or even 3 year commitments. If you are going to apply, my advice would be to get in touch with their nurse recruiter, write a good cover letter, and get yourself some good letters of recommendation from your clinical instructors. Best of luck!