Student Nurse Extern I - Acute Care Cardiology and Nephrology Unit - 3 West

UNC Health•Chapel Hill, NC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Student Nurse Externship provides prelicensure nursing students with an immersive clinical experience to strengthen foundational nursing education and support role socialization. The Student Nurse Extern I (SNE I) is a member of the patient care team and works with an RN partner within the Nursing Assistant I scope of practice. The SNE I applies concepts learned in their nursing program while providing technically skilled care in the assigned department. The experience offers opportunities to work with RNs in healthcare settings and develop knowledge in preparation for a registered nursing career. This position is assigned to the 25-bed 3 West Acute Care Cardiology and Nephrology Unit. Specialties include end-stage renal disease, post-renal or heart transplant care, chest pain and pre-/post-cardiac catheterization, pacemaker/AICD placement, and autoimmune/connective tissue disorders. The unit describes its approach as collaborative and offers flexible self-scheduling. The SNE I provides routine direct and indirect patient care in a hospital, clinic, or home health setting. All work is performed under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or provider. The position 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 dates are May 24 through July 31, 2027.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Current enrollment in an accredited prelicensure nursing program, with anticipated graduation within 12 months from 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 verbal and written English language skills.
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.
Ability to perform role-specific activities that 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 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 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 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 emergencies.
In psychiatric settings, support reality orientation and behavior modification plans or therapy; 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 to support patients’ emotional and safety needs.