I’m pretty sure you’ve heard from everyone, especially from your professors that getting a nurse externship will accelerate your clinical skills and present the real world version of nursing. Nursing School clinical rotations present a snippet of the real world but not quite. It’s a slow motion way of getting your skills down pat but gaining experience as a nurse extern means you’ll get to do the good stuff. Like inserting or removing an indwelling foley catheter because let’s face it practicing on patient mannequins just isn’t the same. How else can you acquire hands-on clinical experience and practice using the hospital’s EMR system? Experience a day in the life of a nurse engaged in a 12 hour shift, witnessing codes (and or assisting) and more.
So are you ready to sharpen your clinical skills, learn time management skills on the job, and more related nursing skills? Then participating in a nurse externship program is right up your alley. Many exist but remain competitive so secure your recommendation letters early, keep your GPA up (some request a minimum cumulative average of 3.5 or higher) and apply by the deadlines! Good Luck!
Here’s a list of some Nurse Externship Programs throughout the country (there may be more):
ARIZONA
Scottsdale Healthcare
http://www.shc.org/careers/student-programs/request-for-internship
University Medical Center Arizona
http://www.azumc.com/UMC/body.cfm?id=435
ATLANTA
Children’s Healthcare
http://www.choa.org/pediatric-hospital-jobs/careers-in-pediatrics/nurse-extern-program
CALIFORNIA
UC Davis Health System
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/hr/training/externship.html
UCLA Medical Center
UCSF Medical Center
http://nursing.ucsfmedicalcenter.org/education/training_prog.asp
COLORADO
Banner Health
http://www.bannerhealth.com/Careers/Education+and+Students/Extern+Program.htm
CONNECTICUT
Hartford Hospital
https://www.harthosp.org/nursing/Careers/Students/default.aspx?
Yale New Haven
http://careers.ynhh.org/job-search/
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
George Washington Hospital
http://www.gwhospital.com/careers/employment
GEORGIA
Emory Health Care
http://www.emoryhealthcare.org/employment/career-programs/excell-program-for-nursing-students.html
KENTUCKY
UK Health Care
http://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/nursing/internships/
ILLINOIS
Children’s Hospital
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
http://www.nmh.org/nm/nursing-student-nurse-information
OSF Saint Francis
http://www.osfsaintfrancis.org/MedicalProfessionals/about-nursing/nursing-externship.html
MARYLAND
Capital Camps
Medstar Franklin Square Medical Center
USP
http://www.usp.org/about-usp/careers/internship-fellowship-programs/usp-summer-internship-program
University of Maryland Medical Center
http://umm.edu/careers/nursing/nurse-fellowships
MASSACHUSETTS
http://www.brighamandwomens.org/Patients_Visitors/pcs/nursing/careers.aspx
http://www.simplythebestnursingjobs.org/content/nursing-student-opportunities
MICHIGAN
Bronson
University of Michigan
http://www.med.umich.edu/nursing-externship/
MINNESOTA
http://truefriends.org/jobs/health-care-jobs/
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/nursing/externships.php
http://www.mayoclinic.org/jobs/internships/summer-iii-nursing-minnesota/overview
MISSISSIPPI
MISSOURI
http://www.umsl.edu/~nurseexternweb/
NEW HAMPSHIRE
http://med.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/nursing.html
NEW JERSEY
Robert Wood Johnson Hospital – Hamilton, NJ
http://www.nurse.com/jobs/821594-Extern-(Student-Nurse)-at-Robert-Wood-Johnson-University-Hospital-Hamilton-in-Hamilton-NJ.html
Atlantic Health System
Centra State Health System
http://www.centrastate.com/Nursing/Development-and-Education.asp
Lourdes Health System
Barnabas Health
http://www.barnabashealth.org/Nurses.aspx/want/index.html
Princeton Health Care System
NEW YORK
Albany Medical Center
NYU Langone-NYC, NY
http://nursing.med.nyu.edu/become-a-nurse/student-nurse-externship
NORTH SHORE LIJ/Lenox Hill-NYC, NY
http://www.lenoxhillhospital.org/education.aspx?id=294
New York Hospital Queens
http://www.nyhq.org/About_Nursing_at_NYHQ
New York Presbyterian
http://careers.nyp.org/nursing/opportunities/nursing-students.html
Memorial Sloan Kettering Center
Visiting Nurse Service of New York
http://www.vnsny.org/careers/students-and-new-grads/
NORTH CAROLINA
CONE Health
http://www.conehealth.com/healthcare-professionals/nursing/nurse-extern-program/
Duke Nursing
http://www.dukenursing.org/new-graduates/pna-summer-externship
UNC Healthcare
https://www.unchealthcare.org/site/Nursing/
Wake Med
http://www.wakemed.org/default.cfm?id=1
OHIO
Cleveland Clinic
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/nursing-institute/for-students.aspx
University Hospitals Case Medical Center
http://www.uhhospitals.org/case/for-clinicians/nurse-residency-program
OKLAHOMA
Integris Baptist Medical Center
http://integrisok.com/careers/nursing-student-extern-program
OREGON
Portland VA Medical Center
http://www.portland.va.gov/careers/
PENNSYLVANIA
Bridging the Gaps
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
http://www.chop.edu/careers/nursing-opportunities/nurse-extern-program.html
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
http://www.chp.edu/CHP/nursing+student+nurse
Devereux Foundation
http://www.devereux.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pa_index
Fox Chase Cancer Center
http://www.fccc.edu/careers/nursing/externships/index.html
Geisinger
http://www.geisinger.org/professionals/intern/externships.html
Good Samaritan Health System
http://www.gshleb.org/Main/Externship1.aspx
Penn Medicine
http://www.pennmedicine.org/careers/employment-opportunities/fellowships-internships/
Independence
http://www.ibx.com/careers/nursing_internship/index.html
Lancaster General Health
Magee Rehabilitation
http://www.mageerehab.org/believe.php
Main Line Health
http://www.mainlinehealth.org/oth/Page.asp?PageID=OTH002343
Penn State Hersey
http://www.pennstatehershey.org/web/nursing/education/externships
Jefferson University Hospital
http://www.jeffersonnursing.org/career-opportunities/student-nurses
University Health Services
UPMC
http://www.upmc.com/careers/students/Pages/student-nurses.aspx
TEXAS
Children’s Hospital
http://www.childrens.com/careers/students/nurse-externs.aspx
Cook Children’s
https://www.cookchildrens.org/SpecialtyServices/Nursing/Pages/NurseExternshipProgram.aspx
Methodist Hospital
http://www.houstonmethodistcareers.org/students-summer-student-prof-nurse-progr.html
University of Texas
http://www.houstonmethodistcareers.org/students-summer-student-prof-nurse-progr.html
Virginia
Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters
http://www.chkd.org/HealthPros/Nursing/Externship.aspx
Inova
Riverside
http://www.riversideonline.com/rwfc/internship.cfm
VCU Health System
http://www.vcuhealth.org/?id=1604&sid=12
Virginia Hospital Center
http://www.virginiahospitalcenter.com/default.aspx
WASHINGTON
Seattle Children’s
http://www.seattlechildrens.org/about/careers/internship-residencies/
UW Medicine
http://www.uwmedicine.org/about/employment
Do us a favor, when you get into a nurse externship program please let us know your experience! To Nursing!