Student Nurse Extern I - Burn Intensive Care Unit

UNC Health • Chapel Hill, NC

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Student Nurse Extern I (SNE I) is a temporary full-time position in the Burn Intensive Care Unit at UNC Medical Center. The program runs May 24 through July 31, 2027, and offers prelicensure nursing students an immersive clinical experience intended to strengthen foundational nursing education and support role socialization. The SNE I functions as a member of the patient care team and works with an RN partner within the Nursing Assistant I scope of practice. This externship is not an extension of school clinicals; student skills performed under a clinical instructor’s supervision, including medication administration, assessment, documentation, and NGT or Foley insertion, are not permitted.

The position provides routine direct and indirect patient care in a hospital, clinic, or home health setting. Work is performed under the direct supervision of an RN or provider. The assigned RN partner supports learning experiences so the SNE can perform nursing care activities in complex and non-complex situations. The SNE I reports to the department’s Patient Services Manager or designated Education Leader.

The NC Jaycee Burn Center is a 21-bed ICU-capable unit and an American Burn Association-verified adult and pediatric burn center. It treats thermal, chemical, electrical, and inhalation burn injuries and serves a mixed adult and pediatric population across acute, intermediate, and intensive care. The nursing team collaborates across departments to support restoration of health and function and recovery through all phases of burn care, and participates in burn outreach, education, community partnerships, and lifelong survivor support.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED; a higher-level degree may satisfy this requirement.
• Current enrollment 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 spoken and written English.
• Ability to organize and prioritize assignments in the delivery of patient care.
• 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.
• Ability to perform role-specific physical activities such as kneeling, bending, squatting, and CPR.

Responsibilities

• Observe, collect, and document patient information obtained while providing care, and promptly report significant changes in a patient’s condition to an RN or provider.
• Participate in collaborative identification and reporting of patient safety issues.
• Assist patients and families with admission, orientation to the care setting, and discharge.
• Provide care and treatments as outlined in the plan of care, including measuring vital signs, height, and weight; specimen collection; skin preps and scrubs; 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 personal care for routine activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, feeding, and assisting with ambulation.
• Provide indirect patient and unit support, 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 an RN or provider and document patient understanding of instructions.
• Assist providers and other healthcare professionals with routine examinations and procedures, and obtain equipment and supplies during emergency situations.
• In psychiatric settings, support reality orientation and behavior modification plans; provide informal support to patients and families; use verbal de-escalation; assist with physical management of aggressive or out-of-control patients; facilitate age-appropriate play for children; and monitor therapeutic milieu activities for patient emotional and safety needs.
• Attain and maintain unit-specific competencies.

Benefits

• UNC Health benefits are noted for this State position. Employees of another North Carolina agency who currently participate in TSERS or the ORP may be eligible to continue participating in those plans at UNC Health.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED