Student nurse overseas elective placement help!!

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Hiya, I am a second year student nurse from the UK. I am looking to do my four week elective in 2014 in either the US or Canada as I have a keen interest in the different healthcare systems. Anyway I have absolutely no idea who to contact or where to start! (well i've just renewed my passport, that's a good start..) I have a rough idea that I would like to go to a general hospital and perhaps spend time in different wards/departments in my time there and see how it compares to the UK way of nursing? I just am unsure of who would take the responsibility of a mentor and if I would be able to practice as a student nurse - or would it be just shadowing due to insurance/qualification reasons?

Would it be worth contacting some universities and see if they could assist me in finding a placement ? or would they be too busy with their own students... or is it worth contacting the hospitals directly?

Sorry for all of the questions - I am so confused!

Thanks in advance

Nicola x

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Hiya, not sure if this is posted in the right place so apologies in advance :) I am a second year student nurse from the UK. I am looking to do my four week elective in 2014 in either the US or Canada as I have a keen interest in the different healthcare systems. Anyway I have absolutely no idea who to contact or where to start! (well i've just renewed my passport, that's a good start..) I have a rough idea that I would like to go to a general hospital and perhaps spend time in different wards/departments in my time there and see how it compares to the UK way of nursing? I just am unsure of who would take the responsibility of a mentor and if I would be able to practice as a student nurse - or would it be just shadowing due to insurance/qualification reasons?

Would it be worth contacting some universities and see if they could assist me in finding a placement ? or would they be too busy with their own students... or is it worth contacting the hospitals directly?

Sorry for all of the questions - I am so confused!

Thanks in advance

Nicola x

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Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.

You might be hard pressed to find a clinical site that will allow you at all. For US students to participate in any clinical environment, the school has to have a contract with the site and both usually carry insurance to cover the student. US students normally cant just call a Hospital and ask for clinical time. It has to be arranged from the school directly with the site. Your best bet would be to ask you nursing school director if they have any US hospital affiliatons of contracts and see if they can get you a placement. Or you can apply for a worker or student visa and see if any of the hospitals here will hire you on as a PCT. Usually they would want more than a 1 months though because it will cost to train you. Or possible try to volunteer at a hospital.

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Hi j.n.moore87 thanks for your reply.. yes I was half expecting for that to be the case, it's exactly the same in the UK with the university allocating students to a particular area. The PCT role, which i'm guessing is like a nursing assistant type role? is a good idea but I have to be there as a student nurse, not working..so that wouldn't work :(

Sorry to sound stupid, but do you have any names of nursing schools in the US? or a few you'd recommend? I'm just a bit overwhelmed with information!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Wow....that is a tough question....I am checking our resources to find the best answer for you. A list of US colleges for nursing? That is an extensive list...this site my help....Search ACEN Accredited Nursing Programs

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

I seriously doubt contacting the hospitals directly will be of benefit due to how nurse training is done. Starting point really would be universities in Canada and nursing schools in the US. You may find it easier going to Australia as I remember a few years ago that seemed to be the easiest for this situation. Can you not talk to your student advisor or someone in your student office as someone previously may have gone through this

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

threads merged....:)

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Well, for starters nursing education in the UK and Canada are different. Students insurance is provided by the training institution.

Preceptors are paid a minimal fee by the health authority for taking students. And honestly, many of the preceptors I know are tired of taking students. There is currently a drive on to train more preceptors. I doubt anyone would be willing to put in the work to complete the paperwork for a student nurse that wouldn't wind up working in our system.

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