Student Nurse Extern - Cardiovascular Surgical Intermediate Care

UNC Health•Raleigh, NC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Student Nurse Externship Program is a 10-week, paid summer program for rising senior ADN and BSN nursing students. It provides hands-on clinical experience to strengthen nursing skills, build confidence and clinical judgment, and support the transition from nursing student to professional nurse. This position is assigned to the 32-bed Cardiovascular Surgical Stepdown Unit (6HV), which cares for patients with complex cardiovascular conditions, including cardiac and vascular surgery, structural heart, and complex cardiac medical patients. The unit uses GE bedside monitors and modern technology and supports evidence-based care through a collaborative team that includes Cardiac Surgery APPs, clinical pharmacists, multidisciplinary rounds, and case management. 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 role provides routine direct and indirect patient care under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or provider. The extern applies concepts learned in nursing school, participates in learning experiences in complex and non-complex situations, and develops foundational nursing knowledge and role socialization. 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.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
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.
Attainment and maintenance of 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.
Patient care providers may need to kneel, bend, squat, and perform CPR.

Responsibilities

Observe, collect, and document patient information while providing care; promptly report significant changes in patient condition to a registered nurse or provider and participate in identifying and reporting patient safety issues.
Assist patients and families during 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 preps or 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 care by 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 professionals 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 for children, and monitoring of therapeutic milieu activities to meet patients’ emotional and safety needs.