Nurse externship or CNA?

[futurenurse111]

I'm an accelerated BSN student graduating next May, and wanted to know if anyone had advice (in terms of future employment) on whether I should work as a CNA or apply for a nurse externship? My last two semesters are pretty light in terms of coursework, so I thought it might be a good opportunity to start planning for my future as an RN. Should I apply for CNA jobs at the hospitals that I hope to work at as an RN, or should I apply for a nurse externship next Summer while studying for the NCLEX?

[TheDudeWithTheBigDog, ADN, RN]

You can do both.

Personally, if I didn't have to work while I was in school, I'd just pick the externship. But since I had to work, I ended up working and then did an externship on top of it. Long as you can handle it, there's no reason you have to choose between the two.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Be sure to look at the details of both options before making a decision. For example, at my hospital, you are not longer eligible to be an extern if you have already graduated. We don't allow graduate nurses to participate in our Summer extern program.

Other programs may have similar rules that you need to be sure of before making a decision.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

I did an externship. It allowed me to practice physical skills with a nurse on hand directly supervising, such as IV insertion, catheter insertion, sterile dressing changes. I could do more than a CNA could do.