Student Nurse Extern I - Cardiovascular Acute Care Unit

UNC Health • Chapel Hill, NC

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Student Nurse Extern I (SNE I) position is for students enrolled in an accredited prelicensure nursing program and provides an immersive clinical experience to strengthen foundational nursing education and role socialization. The SNE I works as a member of the patient care team and partners with an RN within the Nursing Assistant I scope of practice. All work is performed under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or provider. The externship is not an extension of school clinicals; skills such as medication administration, assessment, documentation, and NGT or Foley insertion that students perform under clinical-instructor supervision are not permitted in this role.

The extern demonstrates the ability to apply concepts learned in the nursing program to provide technically skilled care in the assigned department. The role offers experience working with RNs in varied healthcare settings to enhance nursing knowledge and prepare for a future profession as a registered nurse. The SNE I reports to the assigned department’s Patient Services Manager or designated Education Leader and works under the direct supervision of an assigned RN partner, who supports learning and the performance of nursing care activities in complex and non-complex situations.

The program runs from May 24 through July 31, 2027. The Cardiovascular Acute Care Unit is a 12-bed unit using an interdisciplinary team approach to provide patient- and family-centered care for vascular and cardiothoracic surgeries, heart failure, and cardiology. The position is temporary, full-time, onsite, with a variable schedule and 36 standard hours per week. Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Compensation is $18.00 per hour.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED; a higher-level degree may satisfy this requirement.
• 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 spoken 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; examples include pushing or pulling patients on a bed or stretcher (29 pounds of push force) and lateral transfers involving up to 50 pounds of the patient’s weight.
• Frequent to continuous standing and walking.
• May be required to kneel, bend, squat, and perform CPR.

Responsibilities

• Observe, collect, and document patient information while providing care, and promptly report significant changes in patient condition to a registered nurse or provider.
• Participate in collaborative identification and reporting of patient safety issues.
• Assist patients and families with admission, orientation to the hospital, clinic, or home health experience, and discharge.
• Provide care and treatments in accordance with 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 direct personal care for routine activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, feeding, and assisting with ambulation.
• Provide indirect care, including cleaning the work area, 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 patient understanding of instructions.
• Assist providers and other healthcare providers with routine examinations and procedures, and obtain equipment and supplies during emergency situations.
• In psychiatric settings, assist with reality orientation, behavior modification plans and therapy, informal support for patients and families, verbal de-escalation, physical management of aggressive or out-of-control patients, age-appropriate play for children, and monitoring therapeutic milieu activities to meet patients’ emotional and safety needs.

Benefits

• UNC Health benefits are mentioned. Eligible employees currently participating in TSERS or ORP through another North Carolina agency may continue participating in those plans.

What This Job Offers

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