Goals for student externship

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 15, 2008

Current Extern here... Just a reminder, you are not licensed so you will NEVER EVER be expected to do anything that is "over your head". In fact, as an Extern this is probably the only time in your nursing career that you will be able to tell someone "I am not comfortable doing [fill in the blank]" without being written up or looked at strangely. Thus, I highly suggest that you pick an area you plan to work in after your graduate. Especially since it is possible that you will gain experience, connections, and land a job in that specialty before you graduate. GL! :up:

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 15, 2008

I run a summer extern program (at another hospital) ... and the goals that you listed are the types of things we look for.

As for which unit ... I don't know the units (or your temperament) well enough to say. For our externs, we ask them about their preferences and career plans and the WE determine which unit they are assigned to. Some years, we have lots of great applicants who all want the same unit and we can't do that: we need to spread them out. So, we ask them to give us their top 3 or 4 units and discuss their reasons for wanting those units etc. so that we can match them up with a unit that will work well for them even if it is not their first choice.

Does the program you are applying to force you to pick only 1 unit ... and then have it be "all or nothing?" with you either being chosen for that unit or nothing at all?

MySimplePlan · Feb 15, 2008

As llg notes, the goals you've listed are realistic. I've found that being an extern allows me to utilize the skills I've learned in nursing school and gives me an opportunity to improve and expand them. Externing also helps me improve my organizational skills, which to me is everything. I'm not there yet, but I'm much further along than if I never had any floor experience at all. Finally, I'm honing interpersonal skills with peers and staff, and finally speaking to doctors, whom I artfully dodged previously.

Good luck to you. I extern once a week during school and more on breaks, and it has helped me on every level in nursing school.

pinkiepie_RN · Feb 15, 2008

I run a summer extern program (at another hospital) ... and the goals that you listed are the types of things we look for.
As for which unit ... I don't know the units (or your temperament) well enough to say. For our externs, we ask them about their preferences and career plans and the WE determine which unit they are assigned to. Some years, we have lots of great applicants who all want the same unit and we can't do that: we need to spread them out. So, we ask them to give us their top 3 or 4 units and discuss their reasons for wanting those units etc. so that we can match them up with a unit that will work well for them even if it is not their first choice.
Does the program you are applying to force you to pick only 1 unit ... and then have it be "all or nothing?" with you either being chosen for that unit or nothing at all?

Well, there are individual applications on the website for the hospital for different units. I think I might see if I can track down a nurse recruiter there and see if it works as you say your program does. Thanks for the info!

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 15, 2008

Well, there are individual applications on the website for the hospital for different units. I think I might see if I can track down a nurse recruiter there and see if it works as you say your program does. Thanks for the info!

I think it is a great idea to discuss it with the Nurse Recruiter even if you do have to pick one unit for yourself. She can probably give you some good advice that will help you make a good choice. Too many people (especially students and new grads) will pick a particular unit because of it's title -- e.g. "I want the ED." or "I want the ICU." etc. without investigating and taking the particular details of that unit into consideration. At a large hospital such as the one you are applying to, there are probably several units that would be good choices for you. Pick the one that you will be happiest in so that you can focus on the things you want to learn -- and not so over-stressed and unhappy that it becomes a problem.

clhRN2b2010 · Oct 12, 2008

I was wondering how you may have fared in your externship or pursuit of one?

I will be starting my nursing program in January and would love to find a similar oportunity in the area. (Balt.) Do you have any advice for me?

Thanks!

pinkiepie_RN · Oct 13, 2008

I was wondering how you may have fared in your externship or pursuit of one?
I will be starting my nursing program in January and would love to find a similar oportunity in the area. (Balt.) Do you have any advice for me?
Thanks!

I actually didn't end up getting an externship, but I have a flexible job as a part-time/as needed student nurse working in a hospital.

Panthyr · Oct 14, 2008

I think it is a great idea to discuss it with the Nurse Recruiter even if you do have to pick one unit for yourself. She can probably give you some good advice that will help you make a good choice. Too many people (especially students and new grads) will pick a particular unit because of it's title -- e.g. "I want the ED." or "I want the ICU." etc. without investigating and taking the particular details of that unit into consideration. At a large hospital such as the one you are applying to, there are probably several units that would be good choices for you. Pick the one that you will be happiest in so that you can focus on the things you want to learn -- and not so over-stressed and unhappy that it becomes a problem.

Ilg, do you have any recommendations of a place we could go to learn about "a day in the unit" for different departments? It's hard to get an outsider-looking-in idea of each unit until you've been there in clinical, and some are never visited by many clinical groups.