Nurse Extern Vs. Tech

Ok that makes sense. Thanks for your input. :)

In Texas the names are synonymous. Each means the individual is unlicensed assistive personnel. Considering you will not have the legal scope of practice till you are licensed, I would recommend you pursue the job that has the best hours relating to your school schedule. Notice I did not mention pay. Even the higher paying job would be a pain if your job obligations interfere with school. Keep your eye on your goal!

Being an extern is far more preferable to being a tech. You'll get a wider scope of practice than a tech, and it's prestigious and competitive to be selected for an externship. Honestly, even if the extern and tech job do turn out to have similar responsibilities, look at it this way:

Extern = few spots available, you were selected out of thousands of student nurse applicants for a selective externship program

Tech = minimum wage job that requires only a GED or high school diploma.

So it's far better to have "extern" on your resume.

Being an extern is far more preferable to being a tech. You'll get a wider scope of practice than a tech, and it's prestigious and competitive to be selected for an externship. Honestly, even if the extern and tech job do turn out to have similar responsibilities, look at it this way:

Extern = few spots available, you were selected out of thousands of student nurse applicants for a selective externship program

Tech = minimum wage job that requires only a GED or high school diploma.

So it's far better to have "extern" on your resume.

Where I'm from the difference between a tech/aide and extern is literally less than 75 cents (externs at this hospital start around $12.50 an hour). Also, although the externship is highly competitive, it's still only six weeks and you may be let go. But most students try and stay retained to work as an aide or something like that so they can be hired onto the unit as RNs.

Also, I just got a job as an aide at a hospital and on the application, they specifically state that they prefer nursing students who have completed at least a semester of an RN program.

But this brings me to a dilemma... I also applied for the externship at this SAME hospital, got an interview (way back in February) but didn't get it... BUT I did get a full time job as an aide on a surgical step down unit... which makes me question the same thing as the OP.

Hello,

I would like to get people's options on which one (Nurse extern or tech) would be the best for me to presue during my last year of nursing school. I would really like to get some additional experience in L&D and also getting paid some extra money would be nice too. Also what's the main difference between the two and which one would provide me with more opportunities to learn?

Thanks!!

In my school in Baltimore, nurse externs and techs are paid roughly the same. However, the learning opportunity is different imo. Nurse externs have preceptors on their respective floors; 1:1. Obviously this experience can vary, depending on factors such as the willingness of the preceptor to teach and the policies of the hospital regarding the scope of practice for externs. The latter also applies to techs.