Internship or Shadowing?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi all, I am brand new to this site, so please be kind :)

For starters, my name is Megan, and I am a 19-year-old nursing student. I am, like others, so incredibly passionate about the medical field. Since the time I was very young, nursing is the only thing that I have ever wanted to do with my life.

Now for my question, I have recently been thinking about it, and I really need something to motivate me, to excite me, to get me out of bed each morning. I'm kinda in a slump right now, I go to school, I do homework, and I go to bed - repeat everyday. I think I have maybe 'burned out' and I need to revive myself, and motivate myself to continue to work hard in order to achieve my lifelong career goal. I would love to shadow or intern under a doctor a nurse on a regular basis, say, every Monday after class.

Is feasible that I will be able to find a doctor or nurse that would be willing to let me shadow/intern for them on a regular basis? If so, how should I go about this? I know volunteering is always an option, but I am looking for in depth medical observation.

Thank you, all help and feedback is extremely appreciated.

In regards to shadowing you just have to call the local hospitals and doctors office and just ask, methinks you could see if your school of nursing could set up an internship, but I kinda get the vibe that clinicals are supposed to get you what you are searching for in an internship in the first place.

Chesterton1,

Thank you for your response. I am currently a freshmen, so I have not quite started clinicals yet, and I am yearning to be in the medical field right now. I'd love to shadow or intern for a few hours a week for this semester and possibly throughout the summer until clinicals roll around. Thanks again

Megan

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Try volunteering at a facility that appeals to you. You'll probably be more successful. Volunteering gives you a little training and the ability to provide a service that will make you a welcome presence in the facility. Volunteering also gives you a legal status within the institution so that you are properly covered by policies, procedures, liability insurance, etc. As an informal shadow, the legal situation can get messy if something bad happens.

Asking people if you can "tag along" with no real function other than to satisfy your desires/curiosity is less attractive from the point-of-view of the health care providers you are asking to donate their time and energy to you.

Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

my facility does not allow shadowing because of the risk of HIPAA violations and the risk of infection control issues or other injuries. If you shadow you do not have objectives to complete and are basically just fulfilling your own curiosity. Patients deserve not to be treated like lab rats. If you volunteer you might pick up on some of the rhythms of the facility, but probably won't get to observe procedures, again due to privacy matters. Good luck with your studies though.

Unfortunately, I think HIPPA concerns might get in your way. My brother shadowed a doctor at the local hospital, though, prior to med school--he got approved as a volunteer, then got some kind of special permission (as well as the ER doc's OK) to shadow. You could certainly try the local hospital; if that doesn't work out, volunteering at a hospital or nursing home could give you some exposure to actual patient care and the rhythms of nursing. I would also recommend reading about nursing, if you're looking for inspiration--there are numerous books about and by nurses (and doctors) that provide plenty of fascinating stories about real life situations, as well as some of the issues involved in being a caregiver (death and dying, burnout, stress, helping and healing others, personal growth, etc) Echo Heron is excellent--check her out.

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

The facility I work for offers a formal job-shadowing program. You need to be at least 16 years old, in school, interested in working in healthcare. It's not allowed in the psych units. It's pretty cool.

From my facility's website:

The XX job shadowing program is designed for students ages 16 years or older who are exploring their career options and wishing to learn more about a particular field or position in a healthcare organization. By shadowing someone at XX, you can see someone at work and begin to understand exactly what types of skills are involved in a position and what you can expect on a daily basis.

  1. Job Shadowing experiences will be approved only for individuals who meet the following requirements:

    1. Currently enrolled in high school, college, or other formal educational program designed for career development or career identification; and
    2. Considering submitting an application for work into health care related fields.

      3. [*]All shadowing individuals must be 14 years of age or older, and there are certain additional age requirements for certain areas of the hospital including the following:

      1. To shadow personnel in the operating room or the intensive care units, the individual must be at least 16 years of age.
      2. To shadow personnel in the Emergency Department, the individual must be at least 18 years of age.
      3. Shadowing is not permitted in the Behavioral Health/psychiatry units and clinics or the Forensic Unit.

      [*]This job shadowing procedure does not apply to:

      1. Formal educational experiences. These requests should be directed to the Department of Education for the execution of a Clinical Learning Agreement with the sponsoring school.
      2. Students requesting to complete volunteer work at XX for school credit.
      3. Observation experiences for licensed physicians from the United States or abroad.
      4. Occasional events where relatives bring their children to work (e.g., take your son/daughter to work day).

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