Nurse Extern - Acute Care General Surgery

UNC Health•Raleigh, NC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Student Nurse Extern I position is part of a 10-week, paid summer externship for rising senior ADN and BSN nursing students. It provides prelicensure nursing students with an immersive clinical experience to strengthen foundational nursing education, develop nursing skills and clinical judgment, and support role socialization. The extern functions as a member of the patient care team and partners with an RN within the Nursing Assistant I scope of practice. The extern applies concepts learned in the nursing program while providing technically skilled care in the assigned department. All work is performed under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or provider. The role reports to the department’s Patient Services Manager or designated Education Leader, and the assigned RN partner supports learning and care activities in complex and non-complex situations. The position is assigned to 7 West Acute Care General Surgery at UNC Rex Hospital, a 30-bed unit with an average 1:5 nursing ratio specializing in colorectal and urology services. The unit cares for patients recovering from routine through complex surgeries, including advanced colorectal and urologic procedures, and patients following the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery pathway. The team emphasizes collaboration, inclusivity, mutual respect, and patient-centered care. The extern provides routine direct and indirect patient care in a hospital, clinic, or home health setting. Duties include observing and documenting patient information; assisting patients and families during admission, orientation, and discharge; providing care and treatments specified in the plan of care; helping with activities of daily living; supporting unit operations; reinforcing routine patient teaching; and assisting providers with examinations, procedures, and emergency needs.

Requirements

Currently enrolled in an accredited prelicensure nursing program, with anticipated graduation within 12 months of the start of the externship.
Listed as Nursing Assistant I with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
Fluent in verbal and written English.
Ability to organize and prioritize assignments in the delivery of patient care.
Attainment and maintenance of unit-specific competencies.
Basic computer skills.
Ability to lift and carry 40–50 pounds, including pushing or pulling patients on a bed or stretcher and assisting with lateral transfers.
Frequent to continuous standing and walking; role-specific patient care activities may include kneeling, bending, squatting, and performing CPR.

Responsibilities

Observe, collect, and document patient information while providing care, and promptly report significant changes in a patient's condition to a registered nurse or provider.
Participate in identifying and reporting patient safety issues collaboratively.
Assist patients and families with admission to the clinical area, orientation to the hospital, clinic, or home health experience, and discharge.
Provide care and treatments outlined in the plan of care, including measuring vital signs, height, and weight; collecting specimens; skin preparation; catheter care; capillary blood glucose checks; simple wound care; range-of-motion exercises; postural drainage; and supportive one-to-one patient and family interactions.
Provide direct personal care for routine activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, feeding, and assisting with ambulation.
Provide indirect care, including cleaning work areas, changing linens, restocking supplies, cleaning or sterilizing instruments, transporting patients, supplies, or specimens, assisting with orientation of new employees and students, and performing routine clerical functions.
Reinforce routine teaching provided by the registered nurse or provider and document patient understanding of instructions.
Assist providers and other health care providers with routine examinations and procedures, and obtain equipment and supplies during emergency situations.
In psychiatric settings, support reality orientation, behavior modification plans or therapy, informal support therapy, verbal de-escalation, physical management of aggressive patients, age-appropriate play, and monitoring of therapeutic milieu activities.