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

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.

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.

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!

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