Internships/externships/study abroad etc

[Jks322]

Although I won't start nursing school until May 2015, I was wondering what types of opportunities are available for nurses. Are there internships/externships before completing nursing or after graduation/before you pass the NCLEX. Are there any great study abroad or foreign opportunities that are available to anyone regardless of the program they are in? What are the benefits of these opportunities besides gaining experience prior to obtaining a full-time job?

[sjalv]

Many hospitals have externships available for student nurses to do during their senior year of nursing school. They are usually paid externships, and basically (in my experience) they are just like clinicals, except without assignments to worry about. You get the opportunity to practice skills, get patient interaction experience, and learn how to react to different clinical situations while still working under the license of another person (your preceptor).

[Jks322]

I did not know this. Do you know how this would work for a student in an accelerated program? There will obviously not be enough time for an internship or externship so maybe the best option would be after the program is over.

Ideally, I would like to work as an ED nurse and then work in critical care. Maybe someone out there knows of CC internships/externships for someone who is already a working RN with a BSN.