Student Nurse Extern I -Intermediate Neuro & ENT 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 UNC Medical Center’s Intermediate Neuro & ENT Unit, offered as part of the Student Nurse Extern Program from May 24 through July 31, 2027. The program provides prelicensure nursing students with immersive clinical experience to build on their foundational nursing education and support professional role socialization. The SNE I works as a member of the patient care team alongside an RN partner, within the Nursing Assistant I scope of practice, applying concepts learned in their nursing program to deliver technically skilled care. The position provides experience working with RNs in healthcare settings to expand nursing knowledge and prepare for a career 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. The RN partner supports learning and development so the SNE can perform nursing care activities in complex and non-complex situations. The position provides routine direct and indirect patient care in a hospital, clinic, or home health care setting, with all work performed under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or provider. The role is onsite in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with a variable schedule and 36 standard hours per week.

Requirements

Current enrollment in an accredited prelicensure nursing program, with anticipated graduation within 12 months of the start of the externship.
High school diploma or GED; a higher-level degree may satisfy this requirement.
Listed as Nursing Assistant I with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
Fluent in written and verbal English.
Ability to organize and prioritize assignments in patient care delivery.
Attain and maintain unit-specific competencies.
Basic computer skills.
Ability to lift and carry 40–50 pounds; examples include pushing or pulling patients on beds or stretchers and assisting with lateral transfers.
Frequent to continuous standing and walking.
May need to kneel, bend, squat, and perform CPR as part of patient care duties.

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 in accordance with the plan of care, including measuring vital signs, height, and weight; collecting specimens; performing skin preparations, catheter care, capillary blood glucose checks, simple wound care, range-of-motion exercises, and postural drainage; and providing 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 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 the 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, 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 to support patient emotional and safety needs.