Student Nurse Extern I - Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit - Hillsborough Campus

UNC Health•Chapel Hill, NC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

UNC Health Care Hillsborough Campus is a 163-bed community hospital and an extension of UNC Medical Center. Its 40-bed Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit supports patients through recovery and helps them regain independence, with the goal of returning home when possible. The unit is an interdisciplinary, team-oriented environment and offers a learning opportunity for students interested in direct patient care. The Student Nurse Externship runs from May 24 through July 31, 2027. Its goal is to provide prelicensure nursing students with an immersive clinical experience that strengthens foundational nursing education and supports role socialization. The Student Nurse Extern I is a member of the patient care team and works with an RN partner within the Nursing Assistant I scope of practice. The position provides routine direct and indirect patient care under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or provider. It is not an extension of school clinicals; skills performed as a student under a clinical instructor's supervision, including IV or oral medication administration, assessment, documentation, and NGT or Foley insertion, are not permitted. The extern applies concepts learned in the nursing program while providing care in complex and non-complex situations. The RN partner supports learning experiences and helps the extern develop proficiency in nursing care activities. The SNE I reports to the department's Patient Services Manager or designated Education Leader and works under the direct supervision of an assigned RN partner. This is a temporary, full-time, onsite State position with a rotating schedule, 36 standard hours per week, at UNC Medical Center's Rehab organization unit. The listed pay is $18.00 per hour. UNC Health Care System employees receive UNC Health benefits; the Hillsborough Campus also offers State benefits and free employee parking.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Current enrollment in an accredited prelicensure nursing program, with anticipated graduation within 12 months of the externship start date.
Listed as Nursing Assistant I with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
Fluent verbal and written English.
Ability to organize and prioritize assignments in the delivery of patient care.
Attain and maintain unit-specific competencies.
Basic computer skills.
Ability to lift and carry 40–50 pounds, including pushing or pulling patients on beds or stretchers and assisting with lateral transfers.
Frequent to continuous standing and walking.
May be required to kneel, bend, squat, and perform CPR.
No professional experience required.

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, orientation to the hospital, clinic, or home health experience, and discharge.
Provide care and treatments according to the plan of care, including measuring vital signs, height, and weight; collecting specimens; skin preparations and scrubs; catheter care; capillary blood glucose checks; simple wound care; range-of-motion exercises; postural drainage; and supportive one-to-one interactions with patients and families.
Provide personal care for routine activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, feeding, and assisting with ambulation.
Provide indirect patient and area 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 a registered nurse or provider and document the patient's understanding of instructions.
Assist providers and other healthcare professionals with routine examinations and procedures, and obtain equipment and supplies during emergencies.
In psychiatric settings, support reality orientation, behavior modification plans and therapy, informal support for patients and families, verbal de-escalation, physical management of aggressive patients, age-appropriate play for children, and monitoring of therapeutic milieu activities for patient emotional and safety needs.
Work with an assigned RN partner and participate in learning experiences to develop proficiency in nursing care activities.