Quick but silly question

Her Own Catalyst RN · Apr 20, 2011

I have a quick question and hopefully someone could help. I recently landed an internship at meadowlands hospital that starts up in may. It is an unpaid OR internship that is for 6 months and it is 8 hours a day Monday through Friday. I was wondering if most internships are not paid especially in a hospital that has a union. I'm pretty new to nursing having graduated in May of 2010, so I am not really sure if that is something that is common with an internship. Also I was wondering if as an intern, could the hospital contractually obligate the intern to work at the hospital for one year? Thank you for any and all help.

I'm not sure about INTERNships, however, I graduated 3 years ago and had an EXTERNship and that was paid. All my friends had externships as well ranging from St Joe's, Atlantic Health, & Mountainside Hospital..all paid. I'm not sure you're making out on that situation. :confused:

kcmylorn · Apr 21, 2011

Sounds like back to the days of slave labor and child labor laws. Are they paying your bills? Giving you free housing and food or do they put you up at the local homeless shelter and soup kitchen? They probably beat you if you step out of line! NJ what a place.

A 6 month OR intership. They used to be 18 months years ago. An where can you go on 6 months of experience? Most places ask for at least 1 year, excluding your school clinicals. I bet in the not so distant past they used to have a diploma school of nursing which supplied them with some staff. That's what those hospital diploma schools did back in the day. Supplied staffing and paid positions after graduation.

rbytsdy · May 6, 2011

I had a summer externship and made the same as the PCTs.