Vanderbilt Summer 2020 Nurse Residency

Nurses General Nursing

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Hey everyone! Just thought I would create a page for us to chat about the upcoming application process and everything that follows! I graduate in May 2020 and am hoping to apply for the CVICU or the adult ED.

@bhrn9 Sorry I should say a NICU. I work at another level 4 in another state so I have no idea what its like. But I agree it does look great! I am apply from Georgia but I have never been to Nashville.

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Specializes in ICU.
47 minutes ago, samkit102092 said:

Hey everyone! I applied for the NICU track. I am currently a PCI in the NICU and completed an externship in the NICU over the summer. Good luck to everyone!!!

I’ve seen a couple people throw out the word extern - what does that entail? Is that part of nursing school? A paid job like a CNA? A volunteer? We don’t have externs in California so I have no idea what that is lol.

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU.

I think you guys will like it. I also applied to NICU. I currently work for Vanderbilt now in the peds urgent care and its great. I also did my shadowing experience in Vanderbilt NICU. they have 2 split Nicu's. The bigger one where they have 90+ beds is located in the Children's hospital side and its very nice. They decorate the doors and its very colorful there. The other NICU is smaller and attached to the labor and delivery in the regular Vanderbilt hospital. From what my preceptor told me you can split your time between working in both of the NICU's. I also like the fact that they separate by pods so you have your most critical babies in certain pod areas, and your feeders and growers who just need to be monitored in other pods. I wish everyone the best of luck!!

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@EDboundSN So it can actually mean different things to different hospitals. For instance I am considered a Patient care intern at my hospital but my friend in another hospital is considered an extern but we do the same things. Over the summer my externship was basically a practicum where I worked with the nurse and her patient load.

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@Jonesp75 Thank you for the info! Do you happen to know how many they take for the summer?

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Specializes in ICU.
11 minutes ago, samkit102092 said:

@EDboundSN So it can actually mean different things to different hospitals. For instance I am considered a Patient care intern at my hospital but my friend in another hospital is considered an extern but we do the same things. Over the summer my externship was basically a practicum where I worked with the nurse and her patient load.

So you’re working within an RN scope of practice? Is that set up through your school or the hospital? How long do you do that for?

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@samkit102092 oh okay! Then we're in the same boat, I haven't been to Nashville either but I've heard it's amazing. Glad to know I'm not alone! @Jonesp75 thank you so much for all of that information, it does sound awesome!! I've never heard of having two separate NICUs but it makes sense, and it's really cool that we could do both. Is the Children's hospital like a separate location than the main hospital or are they connected?

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@EDboundSN Yes just like a RN. My hospital is an academic center with my school but it was not set up by the school. The hospital likes to do it because it will help them hire people for the next year. Most of the externs stayed on after as PCI and many of us already have job offers. I already have on but I really want to move away. The externship was for 9 weeks so 27 shifts. Which is actually more than my practicum.

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Specializes in Neonatal Nursing.

Sounds like a lot of people have applied for the NICU! Gonna be competitive.

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Specializes in ICU.
7 minutes ago, samkit102092 said:

@EDboundSN Yes just like a RN. My hospital is an academic center with my school but it was not set up by the school. The hospital likes to do it because it will help them hire people for the next year. Most of the externs stayed on after as PCI and many of us already have job offers. I already have on but I really want to move away. The externship was for 9 weeks so 27 shifts. Which is actually more than my practicum.

Interesting, totally different than CA, thanks for the info!! Everything in CA has to be set up through your School of Nursing (SoN). We have senior practicums our last semester that are set up by the SoN and we have separate internships you can apply for that are extra on top of practicum, but they're only one shift a week for about 10-12 weeks.

How on earth do you manage to do 3 shifts a week as an extern on top of nursing school? My nursing program is already 3-4 full days a week and I work part time as an ER Tech, there's no way I would be able to work full time hours as a tech or pick up 3 shifts a week in an extern program like that. Kuddos to being able to do it.

3 minutes ago, CastiMcNasti said:

Sounds like a lot of people have applied for the NICU! Gonna be competitive.

Yeah I felt like most people on this board applies to peds and/or NICU haha.

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@EDboundSN It was during the summer when I didnt have class so it was like working at full time job.

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Specializes in ICU.
Just now, samkit102092 said:

@EDboundSN It was during the summer when I didnt have class so it was like working at full time job.

Ah, gotchya. My program is year long so we didn't have summers off, so makes sense.

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