Does your hospital offer externships?

[Twinmom06, ASN, APN]

I have a real drive and interest in L/D PP, NICU etc...anyway I just interviewed for an externship on L&D. Does your hospital do an externship and what functions are the externs/nurses aide's permitted to do?

[klone, MSN, RN]

The hospital I worked at for the first five years of my nursing career offered externships, and it's where I got my feet wet as a nurse. It was a fabulous learning experience. I was their very first L&D extern. I was allowed to basically do everything nurse-related except anything with IVs or medications. I could (under direct supervision) insert foleys, apply fetal monitors, help interpret strips, perform lady partsl exams, call physicians, etc. By the time I graduated nursing school, I was almost fully trained as an L&D nurse, and my new grad orientation was about 2 months shorter than the average L&D orientation as a result of my externship training. Again, it was a wonderful experience. I worked as an extern for a full year, during my last year in nursing school.

WHat you will be allowed to do will depend on your hospital and your state BON.