Externship...need advice from the experts!!

[DMCRN]

Hi Everyone!

I'm in my first year of nursing and this summer I have decided to do a student nurse externship at the hospital where I work/go to school. I'm having trouble deciding which floor to do the externship on...They offer ER, OR, ICU, medical, surgical, OB, psych, respiratory, ortho, telemetry, post angioplasty, and Float. Some nurses have told me to do it on the medical floor so that I could see a little of everything...but I already work as a student nurse tech on the medical floor, so I wanted to try something else. I'm leaning towards ICU but I was told that I should do something less advanced since I havent had clinical rotation there yet. Does anyone have any suggestions? Where did you do your externships??

[eandgsma]

I externed in antepartum and L&D because that is where I wanted to work after graduation. So I suggest you apply for an externship whereever you want to work after graduation because hospitals usually will hire their externs. They have spent money and time on you already so its a no brainer for them to hire you after you graduate.

Good luck!

- N

[JanessaG, BSN]

Well my opinion... and you know what those are like , is to go where your heart tells you, where your interest lies. This is a great way to figure out where you fit without having any long-term commitments. If their tele unit is similar to (or is) a stepdown unit, that may be a way to go as well, I know that varies depending on the hospital.

I know we are supposed to say med/surg, med/surg because it gives you the most well-rounded experience and allows you to start trying to manage a heavy pt load, but I've also had a lot of experienced nurses tell me they wish they had not listened to that because it just wasn't where there heart was.

Anyway, since you are already gaining experience in med/surg I say follow your heart! :redbeathe

[grapejuice01]

I did an externship in the ER when I was in school because you truly see EVERYTHING there. I wasnt entirely sure where I wanted to work when I got out of school at that time, so I figured the ER would give me the opportunity to see such a variety of patients/medical issues that it would give me an idea... I ended up falling in love with the ER and stayed after graduation!

If you know where you want to work, though, you should try to get in on that type of unit.

You could also talk to the nurse managers to see what types of things you will be doing in each externship... Compared to other students that did externships when I was in school, the ER externs got to do many more skills than an extern on the floor at my hospital (its where I learned phlebotomy/IVs, EKGs, caths, and got to experience codes, etc on real people rather than manniquins that are used in school) and the nurses were all very eager to teach and to get the extra help.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

[srna2008]

I externed in the SICU at my hospital. My long term goal was to go to CRNA school, so I knew I needed to get into the ICU. I learned so much in the ICU, the nurses saw I wanted to learn and they taught me alot. After I graduated, I was the only graduate nurse hired in the SICU. I think you should extern wherever you believe you want to work after nursing school. It is much easier to transition to your nursing role in a unit you are familiar with and staff you have worked with.