summer nurse externship, yes or no?

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Hello...:D

Information on summer externships are going to be offered soon and I was wondering if it was worth doing it...

I'm not from the area that I am attending school (Central CA) and I don't plan to stay in the area when I graduate so is it worth it to do the summer externship or should I just go to hospital's in the Bay Area, where I am from, and do some volunteer work so that I become familiar with the facility and network?

I'm still looking online and calling hospital's in the Bay Area for summer internships/externships but most of the hospitals I have contacted don't offer it or state that the deadline has passed.

...I would love and welcome any thoughts on the matter.

MM

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Externships are great since you get credits as well as pay. I got 5 credits for Med/Surg clinical and $13.00/hr. The other option is to NOT do externship and go to regular clinical without pay.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

I think all student nurses benefit from extern positions and if you have the opportunity to be offered a post go for it.

SN dont get a lot of clinical experience before they become an RN. this is an ideal opportunity to gain some clinical experience and familiarize yourself with time management etc

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Specializes in OR.

ANY experience you can get prior to clinicals or your schooling is awesome. I know I've benefited from my externship, even if I haven't been following or nurse and have been doing "tech" work. But at my hospitals, "Techs" can also insert/remove foleys and draw blood, so I got a good lead on basic skills.

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Specializes in Med-Tele, Internal Med PCU.

Yes. Yes. Yes. A thousand times, Yes.

You shouldn't see it as being "about the money", mine only paid $11/hr. But the experience and learning that took place over those 10-12 weeks was well worth it. Plus, many hospitals that have these programs give you "points" when it is time to start applying for jobs another plus you have a non-Instructor as a reference of you in a RN position.

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Specializes in M/S, Tele, Sub (stepdown), Hospice.

I agree with the above poster....get as much experience as possible!!! You'll be (possibly) working 12 hour shifts....get to really experience receiving/giving report, all the paperwork that we don't do as students, & much more! Plus, there will be no instructor and you'll get the real feel of how much we'll go through as an RN. I just got accepted to a summer externship this summer & I'm super excited!!

Good luck!

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Specializes in ICU, Emergency Department.

Yes yes yes. do it. it's the best thing I did for myself in school and I tell everyone to take the opportunity if they can.

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Do hospitals consider an externship as experience? My dream job is L&D and I'm hoping to get an externship next summer. I'm REALLY hoping it will get my foot in the door in a dept. that, from what I understand, isn't easy to get into....

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Specializes in NICU Level III.

Mine didn't give me credits for school but it gave me a MUCH BETTER glimpse of what life is like as a 'real nurse' compared to clinicals! They offered me a job on the unit when I graduated, but I didn't accept .. still looked good on a resume, though!

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Specializes in Med-Tele, Internal Med PCU.
Do hospitals consider an externship as experience? My dream job is L&D and I'm hoping to get an externship next summer. I'm REALLY hoping it will get my foot in the door in a dept. that, from what I understand, isn't easy to get into....

I don't know if all hospitals consider it experience. But I know the hospital I did my externship with gives me "points" when I am applying for New Grad positions. I'm sure that even rival hospitals give me a bit of credit.

Think about it .... Potential managers reviewing appications, "this candidate did an externship last summer, that one worked for an accounting firm as she has for the last 5 years, and that one went to the beach and drank beer all summer". What sounds better? Who would you hire?

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For these summer nurse externships, is there a specific website or do you go the hospital's actual website to see if they offer them? When are the deadlines to apply for these? TIA!

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