**MySimplePlan**

Hello-

I was wondering if you could share any details of what being a nurse extern entails, how you got the job, pay, etc...

Basically, any details that you would feel comfortable sharing in this forum.

Thanks in advance! :)

Veruka

Yes, please let us know!!

A nurse extern is responsible for the care of her patient, the majority of the charting, (not the careplans on the computer) delegating some tasks to other personnel, giving report to the next shift. Caring for the patient means meeting as many of his needs as possible during the shift. I need to make sure he stays clean, gets nourished, stays safe, and toilets in whatever way is easiest for him. I need to make sure the pt. and his records are ready for any upcoming tests, but I do not obtain consent. I need to do a head-to-toe assessment on each of my patients at the beginning of every shift. If I receive a new pt. during my shift, I am not allowed to perform the initial assessment. I am not allowed to do the discharge paperwork on the patient, but I can remove his heplocks and get him ready to go. Obviously, I cannot give meds. Most of the time i am on my own, with a nurse assigned to give my meds for me. I can also go to her if I think my pt. is in trouble. Mostly, I am expected to take care of the patients myself. I also have to learn to be comfortable in delegating/asking other personnel to do things for me, such as sending an order through the computer or getting smeone's blood sugar. Hopefully, I've built up collaborative relationships along the way, so assistive personnel don't mind helping me. (I'm finding this part a little hard and need to keep working on it!)

Hopefully, you are working on a great floor with great nurses who drag you to their procedures and let you watch/help them do it. That is why you are there. They all know that, and most of them are very helpful. Some aren't, so just grin and bear it, and eventually, you will win them over. Work really, really hard, and keep a smile on your face, no matter what. Don't sit at the desk all the time - be with your patients. Do NOT gossip. Do NOT. Be nice to everyone, and it will come back to you when the charge nurse picks you to be the extern over someone else, or to stay overtime, or starts giving you more and more responsibility. It takes months and months to develop your presence there, but be persistent, patient, and don't forget that smile. Is it scary at first? God, yes, but I was determined to do this, and I told myself in two weeks, you'll be used to the routine. And I was, and so will you.

You find these job through the job fairs that are set up fot you at school. Go and ask these hospital representatives that you are interested in extern jobs. It is an excellent recruitment tool for them, too, and THEY are looking for YOU just as much as you are seeking them out. You can also call the Human Resource Departments at area hospitals and ask them the very questions you are asking here. Most hospitals hire their externs in bulk and train them all at the same time. Start calling in March. They start recruiting in April-ish, and train in May.

Externing helps you in clinical, helps you in class, and as a new RN on our unit claims, helps on the NCLEX. It gives you a feel for the direction you want your nursing career to go, what population you'd like to serve, which shifts you'd like to work. It gives you a chance to make a difference for people even before you are an RN.

Work really hard this next semester, then in March, start inquiring about these jobs. They're not hard to get, and they're not that competitive, either. Most get hired.

Good luck, and good luck with your studies as you start back to school this week. Let's kick butt! :bbykck: