Nursing externship/internship

Lana312 · Dec 24, 2008

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anybody knows or could help me oout here. I am from germany and go to nursing school over here and we have to do a 3 weeks-internship where we have to work at an ambulance, ER,medical practice etc.. and we can do it in any country. I wanna do it in the states but don't know if it's possible and if the hospitals let me do it, it's like a volunteer.

Does anyone know hopsitals where and how is the best way to get an answer? I'd prefer the NY area &Fairfield county area as I've lived there before.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Dec 24, 2008

Savexpigoo -- for sure! That's why we host externships in the first place - to aid in the recruitment of new grads. If you can impress them, you will have a real advantage when (if) you decide to apply.

Lana312 - kinda hijacked the thread, didn't you? Anyway - you have basically NO CHANCE of being able to do your internship in the US. We have a very litiginous society, and hospitals cannot afford to do anything that will increase potential liability. In order to actually touch patients as a non-licensed person, you would need to either: 1) be an employee of the hospital, or 2) be a student in an academically supervised program working with a clinical instructor. If you managed to pull off option 1, your work would be limited to very basic tasks. You would not be able to 'shadow' or work alongside a licensed employee.

savexpigoo · Dec 25, 2008

Is it alot harder to get accepted as an intern if I didn't extern at that certain hospital? Because I was thinking of doing my externship at one place and internship at another; I want to see/experience different places. Also, can you recommend me any good nursing externship sites? I've looked up mayo clinic, johns hopkins, UCLA, NYU medical center so far..I wanna find a place where the nurses are actually willing to teach and friendly

Thanks!

Lana312 · Dec 25, 2008

thx for the quick answer!I'm sorry it seemed to be the right thread to me to ask about it.

Anyway, i thought it would be hard but that it's not possible at any chance:confused:.. i didn't think about it since the midwife students at my school always have the opportunity to do their volunteer, even in the states, the same for the med school students. I already volunteered for a couple weeks at a hopsital when I've lived in CT and it wasn't a problem since I did not get paid and had my insurrance. I was just wondering since I don't live there anymore..

Hm, if I really won't be able to do it over there I'll try the other way and go to an american military hospital here in germany, if it works.

Thx again!

phillystudentforlife · Mar 25, 2009

Still, it never hurts to try. I was talking to someone who worked as a medic for an ambulance. He said that they did take volunteers and would provide training. So it is at least something to look into.