Nursing externships...are they helpful?

[Zookeeper44, RN]

I have looked into a couple of externships in my area for next summer. I am just wondering if anyone has done one and what you thought of it, i.e. was it well-organized, were you able to pick up new skills or practice ones you'd already learned in lab but hadn't done in the real pt. setting, etc. or were you utilized as a glorified CNA?

I don't expect to be paid much for an externship but I do want to spend my time learning real nursing skills and knowledge, not doing bed baths (already know how to do that! ) Plus I'll be driving a minumum of an hour each way to get to either of the sites that offer externships, plus juggling DH being able to be home with the kids while I work, etc. so I just feel it really needs to be worth our time and effort to attend.

I am just not getting a good feel from the couple of people I have had contact with regarding these externships. One nurse recruiter has not even responded to an e-mail I sent her 3 days ago with some basic questions I wanted to have answered before I went through the rather involved application process, and one was very, very vague in their answers to my questions on the phone regarding scheduling questions (I will not be able to work a day-shift-during-the-week schedule since our school-aged kids will be home all summer and I wanted to know what scheduling options there might be) as well as whether or not they even offered externships in my area of interest.

My time is already going to be extremely tight while in school this spring...I don't want to be on wild goose chases just to end up finding out information after applications and interviews out of town, that could have been answered up front.

Anyone BTDT? Is this the norm? Is it worth it to my career to do whatever I can to get an externship, or will it really matter once I graduate?

[Rednights]

Externships push you WELLLLLLL ahead of the line if you are applying to that specific hospital after you graduate, even as a new grad.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I coordinate a summer extern program -- one that is very popular with students. We generally have about 5 to 7 times as many applicants as we do available positions.

You will find some variation in extern programs. Different hospitals place emphasis on different things. Some have extern programs that are simply a "fancy name" for nursing assistant positions -- using students as a flexible source of inexpensive labor for skills that do not require an RN license. In such programs, the job expectations closely resemble those of any nursing assistant. The students benefit by earning money and by getting some direct patient care experience and by working in the hospital environment. The hospital gets cheap labor and an opportunity to assess the work skills of the students prior to hiring them as a staff nurse.

Other programs (such as mine) place more emphasis on providing education for the externs -- grooming them to be hired as staff nurses after graduation. The externs attend a few classes designed just for them and are not counted in the staffing numbers -- allowing them to "follow" an interesting case or situation that might come up during their shift. (To participate in such a structured educational program, the extern needs to be available to participate in the educational sessions.)

We also use the externship as an opportunity to evaluate the students to see what kind of employee they will be. Are they flexible? Are they whiners? Are they demanding? Are they grouchy? Are they cheeful and pleasant to work with? Do they pick up new knowledge and skills easily? Do they fulfill their job requirements and complete their assigned tasks without having to be reminded? Do they voluntarily (and cheerfully) do their fair share of the unpleasant work and or more menial tasks? etc. We do not select extern applicants who place limitations on their work schedule or who show resistance to providing any type of care the patient might need. We believe that a good nurse does whatever the patient needs and we look for nurses (and externs) who share those values.

We also believe there is GREAT value for an extern in being allowed to function with a little independence -- and that can only occur when the extern is assigned to do some of the more mundane tasks. Working somewhat independently to complete several tasks helps the extern develop organization, prioritization, and time management skills. When they are with their preceptor learning "new" and/or "advanced" skills, the externs don't get a chance to learn those crucial organizational skills. They then flounder as a staff nurse because they are not used to having to juggle multiple demands.

Our goal is to give the extern an experience that closely mimics the orientation of a new graduate -- a combination of learning new knowledge and skills and plenty of practice with the day-to-day juggling of routine tasks. If a summer extern performs well, we view them as someone likely to be successful as a staff nurse. They go right to the top of the list for an RN job after graduation.

So ... anyone considering an extern program needs to investigate it thoroughly. What kind of program is it? What does it provide the student? What does it require of the student? etc. Each program is different.

[Zookeeper44, RN]

Thanks for you replies.

I understand completely what you are saying about an extern needing to be available for extra educational opportunities and such. That was one thing I was afraid of...that I will be skipped over because I do have some limitations as to what schedule I can work. I may just have to miss out on an externship, unfortunately, if that is the case. Not being a 20 year old new graduate (I am 45 yrs. old with a family and working husband) I do have fewer choices where schedule is concerned. I thought maybe they would have preceptors available on various shifts, since many of our students are "non-traditional" and have the same schedule limitations that I do. Just getting an answer from them one way or the other would be a nice start though

And I am not at all opposed to doing all aspects of patient care at some point, I just don't want to be in one of the programs like you mentioned where I feel that basically the hospital is just using externs for cheap labor, which I fear might be the case in at least one of the programs I have looked at.

Also, I am interested in psych nursing. I already have a master's degree (non-nursing) in counseling and have a couple of years of experience as a social worker/clinician so not new to the field but I'm sure I could benefit greatly from experience of learning to organize nursing duties in an inpatient setting, which is a whole different ballgame than doing outpatient mental health. I was also hoping to "get my foot in the door" early through an internship at the particular hospital I'd like to work at when I graduate. Unfortunately, this happens to be the same hospital where I am having difficulty getting answers about the externship.

I am thinking that I am going to plunge forward and apply as that may be the only way to find out answers to my questions.