Student Nurse Extern I - Hematology/Oncology Acute Care Unit (4 Oncology)

UNC Health•Chapel Hill, NC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Student Nurse Extern I (SNE I) position is for prelicensure nursing students enrolled in an accredited School of Nursing. The extern functions as a member of the patient care team and works with an RN partner within the Nursing Assistant I scope of practice. The role provides an immersive clinical experience to reinforce foundational nursing education, support role socialization, and build experience in preparation for a registered nursing career. The SNE I applies concepts learned in the nursing program while providing technically skilled care in the assigned department. The extern reports to the department’s Patient Services Manager or designated Education Leader and works under the direct supervision of an assigned RN partner, who supports learning and performance of nursing care activities in complex and non-complex situations. Routine direct and indirect patient care is provided in a hospital, clinic, or home health setting, with all work performed under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or provider. The assigned 4 Oncology unit is a 53-bed inpatient Hematology/Oncology unit caring for patients with solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Care includes transfusions, antibiotic therapy, chemotherapy and biotherapy, and end-of-life care. The externship program runs from May 24 through July 31, 2027. This is a temporary, full-time, onsite position in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with a rotating schedule and 36 standard hours per week. The stated salary rate is $18.00 per hour.

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.
Fluency in verbal 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; 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, 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 during admission, orientation to the hospital, clinic, or home health experience, and discharge.
Provide care and treatments according to 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 the patient's 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 or therapy, informal support therapy, verbal de-escalation, physical management of aggressive or out-of-control patients, age-appropriate play for children, and monitoring therapeutic milieu activities to help meet patients' emotional and safety needs.
Attain and maintain unit-specific competencies.