Nurse externships and experience before graduating

[worrywart]

I was wondering how many people graduated from nursing school without any nurse externships or clinical experience outside from nursing school clinicals. Is it possible to be a great nurse if you don't have that experience? I'm trying to get my foot in the door at some local hospitals just to get the experience and I already work at a nursing home. I have heard a lot about how nurse externships make the transition easier after graduation, but they are very competitive to get into. Obviously I know any experience would be useful, but I was just wondering from experienced nurses if you survived the real world after graduation without any externships and what you did to transition. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[mysecret_alr]

I know many people who haven't done nurse externships. I myself have worked as a OB tech. Although we didn't do OB in our last semester it has helped underestand working in the hospital. Also little things that made me feel uncomfortable implementing at school were much easier after working at a hospital. But see you have worked at a nursing home and even though its not a hospital that still counts. You understand how to work with patients and that's a very big deal also. So don't worry, after you graduate you'll work all your life, and learn so much. I would relax and use the skills you do have from working in the nursing home.

[krenee]

I will graduate in May and I haven't done an externship. I have three kids who were home over the summer and I couldn't afford the childcare for them. I am doing a preceptorship though which I'm hoping will help me a bit more than the usual clinical rotations that we do. I know that all hospitals have a long orientation program for new grads. Hopefully that will help as well. My favorite instructor tells me being a tech beforehand really doesn't help because "those are just tasks". She says the most important thing is your critical thinking, which you will only really develop on the job.

Good luck!

Kelly

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

my favorite instructor tells me being a tech beforehand really doesn't help because "those are just tasks". she says the most important thing is your critical thinking, which you will only really develop on the job.

this is true, which is why students become nurse externs. nurse externs receive on the job training where he/she is challenged to display leadership and critical thinking skills from the perspective of a rn. i think people who downplay nurse extern positions, where the nurse externs accepts patients similar to clinicals, either do not know what nurse extern do or try to make someone who is afraid he/she was not a nurse extern feel better about him/her self.

op: nurse externs for most hospitals have first pick of floors and in some cases are the only ones hired out of a graduating class (there are some hospitals that do not hire new grads). however, this does not mean you will not get a job or a job of your choice. it just means you may not be the most competitive applicant and won't have the inside track and information regarding various positions offered by a particular hospital. for example, there is one med surg floor that rns hate in my hospital. all the nurse externs stay away from the floor when applying for a new grad position. other new grads have no idea it is a bad floor, which is why overwhelmingly they are the ones who work on the floor after graduation. other med-surg floors and the specialty floors are usually closed to outsiders because we nurse externs take up those positions before we graduate.

i know very few rns that choose not to be a nurse extern in school who later thought that he/she made a good choice. in fact, the reason i became a nurse extern (i was a tech first) was because new grads who were not nurse externs told me to do it! thus, if you have the opportunity, become one. if not, it will not the end of the world. gl!

[Jules A, MSN]

Not saying that it isn't a good experience but I didn't. In my area there is a great need for nurses so we had many opportunities open to us as new grads. I was fortunate to have my first choice lined up long before graduating. If things hadn't been like this or I wanted in a unit that had a lot of competition I'd agree that any leg up is helpful. Bottom line for me was that I was making far more money at my previous profession and as an older student I wasn't willing to make that sacrifice. I'm happy with my choice. Best to you!