Extern ability HELP! First extern and first position and need info!

[Jmpwells]

I have a friend who owns a Dr. office who said she would gladly accommodate me as a Student nurse. I'm at school in Mississippi but the facility is in Tn. I have read the rules of TN & Ms BON, cannot find what I am able to do! The facility has nurse practitioners and medical assistants. With this being said, she said she can hire me on as an extern, only problem, I'm the first and she has no idea what I can do either! She's going to speak with the Dr and APNs but until then, does any one have a clue where I can find student nurse guideline since this is an employment opportunity not affiliated with my school? I definitely know I can't do invasive procedures.

[NICUmiiki, DNP, NP]

In my state, student nurses are only allowed to function as student nurses while participating in a BON approved nursing program. I cannot function as a nurse at any other time.

In my job as a ER Tech, I am allowed to do everything unlicensed assistive personnel are allowed to do per the facility's policy and state law. I can draw blood, insert foley catheters and straight cath, splint broken bones, perform wound dressings, wipe butts, determine fetal heart tones by doppler or ultrasound, and many other tasks that I am properly trained to do. I cannot administer medications, input the patient assessments, start IVs, and anything else only nurses are allowed to do.

In a medical office setting, I would imagine you could call back patients, take vital signs, check pts out, and schedule appointments.

After saying all that, I think it is important for you to find clarification of your role outside of clinicals. I would think it would be similar to a nurse tech/nurse intern job at a hospital, but you personally should call/email the BON and find out.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I doubt seriously that the MD's will know about nurse rules. The best way is to look at the Tennessee BON website and learn what they say about unlicensed personnel. When I lived in TN there was no gray area, you either had a license or you did not. That was years ago, but you need to find out from the source. You will hear people use the term "working under someone's license". Don't believe it.

Being a student does not mean you have any more authoirity than the person who is not a student.

[Jmpwells]

Thanks for that! As for finding clarification, I am being told my instructors to look at the BON site for reference: well, in my state, they mention externs once, lol. I'm sure it will all come together and like you said, I can just do what non-licensed personnel can do like triage and ekgs :) So, I will take your route and email/call them! I totally forgot in all this whirlwind of a mess that I should directly contact them!

[Jmpwells]

Right, I wasn't seeming like I had more authority over a licensed nurse, did I? That's not at all my intention. Yes, as I looked yesterday, there was no gray area. Looking at Tn BON, it was absolutely nothing about externs. Phew! Looking at 2 bons in one day get exhausting lol