Patient Care Extern Program

PHILOSOPHY:

The staff of Memorial Hospital wants to support nursing students by providing a new avenue to experience and observe excellent patient care. The externship will assist in coping with reality shock, developing competence with technical skills, and adaptation to the new role that many newly graduated nurses experience. The extern program allows nursing students during their last year of school to shadow RNs and observe the workflow on several units throughout the hospital. This assists students in finding what clinical areas they are drawn to and provides confidence in weighing options for employment after graduation.

OVERVIEW:

The nurse extern program is available to students that are within one year of graduation from an accredited ADN or BSN program. The flexible program was designed to allow externs unique opportunities to develop and demonstrate their potential for assuming clinical leadership responsibilities in nursing practice. Each externship will expire at the time of graduation or at the time of transfer into another position at Memorial.

The externs will complete a customized hospital orientation in the Professional Development department and will work under the scope of practice outlined in the job description.

CRITERIA

• Be within the last year of school in an accredited nursing program.

• Proof of continued enrollment by providing transcripts, class schedule, and grades maintaining >2.5 GPA.

• Two letters of recommendation by instructors

• Provide BLS certification

• After receiving the online application, resume, and packet information, the student will be contacted for an interview with Employment Services at which time details of the program will be discussed including salary, scheduling, and the units that will be available to work in.

• Once the student is offered and accepts an externship, they must complete a pre-hire appointment that includes a background check and health assessment, sign a Memorandum of Understanding, and attend hospital orientation.

To apply, submit an online application and the information packet:

Questions? Call (228) 236-6487 or email clinicalprograms@mhg.com