Intern – College

UnityPoint Health; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 22,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid internship

Job summary

UnityPoint Health in Des Moines, IA offers a paid 10-week Nursing Student Internship in Med/Surg N6- Meth. Schedule features 12-hour shifts (7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.) with possible weekend rotations, totaling 36 hours per week.

Up to 10 interns will be placed on different floors under direct RN supervision, gaining acute inpatient experience. The program includes an online academic component NU489 through Allen College, with an application deadline of 1/4/2027.

Qualifications

• Must be graduating nursing student in Winter 2027 or Spring 2028.
• Current AHA BLS Provider Card required.
• Enrolled in a one-credit academic class for the summer.

Responsibilities

• Provide and coordinate nursing care under RN supervision.
• Document care to ensure accurate patient records.
• Use critical thinking for independent judgments and patient needs.
• Collaborate with physicians and healthcare team within hospital policies.
• Assess patient and family needs, provide discharge teaching and referrals.
• Apply a holistic approach to patient age-appropriate care.
• Demonstrate initiative to improve care quality and safety.

Skills

Nursing internship

Clinical communication

Team collaboration

Education

Current nursing student

Job description

• Area of Interest: Nursing
• FTE/Hours per pay period: 0.9
• Department: Med/Surg N6- Meth
• Shift: 10-week internship: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., with a possible weekend rotation (following the preceptor’s schedule). 36 hours per week.
• Job ID: 189484

Overview

This is a PAID Student Internship. There will be a maximum of 10 spots held. The student will work with a preceptor to gain experience with acute care inpatient population.

Objectives of the internship are:

• Increase the student nursing intern’s level of confidence in performing technical skills
• Build professional relationships with clinical team members
• Develop clinical decision making and priority skills
• Increase comfortability level and proficiency with providing nursing care to a group of patients.
• Three education sessions are built into this program to provide hands on learning and further education.

**Application deadline will be 1/4/2027. The program will run for 10 weeks, for summer 2027 (6/1/2027 through 8/6/2027). The student is not required to attend the Day 1 system-wide orientation; however, they must complete an abbreviated orientation facilitated by Michelle Stevens, Nurse Residency Coordinator. **

Why UnityPoint Health?

At UnityPoint Health, you matter. We’re proud to be recognized as a Top 150 Place to Work in Healthcare by Becker’s Healthcare several years in a row for our commitment to our team members.

With a collective goal to champion a culture of belonging where everyone feels valued and respected, we honor the ways people are unique and embrace what brings us together.

And, we believe equipping you with support and development opportunities is a vital part of delivering an exceptional employment experience.

Participating specialties:

• Med/Surg
• Behavioral Health
• General Surgery
• Adult Oncology
• ED- Methodist West & Iowa Lutheran
• Blank ER

Up to 10 interns will be selected, with one intern assigned to each floor. During the initial phone interview, we will ask for your top 2-3 areas of interest and will do our best to accommodate your preferred specialty.

Responsibilities

Duties ( under the direct supervision of the RN ):

• Provides and coordinates nursing care to patients utilizing the nursing process.
• Completes documentation to assure an accurate record of patient’s care.
• Utilizes critical thinking in making independent judgments and maintains responsibility for the knowledge of conditions of assigned patients.
• Collaborates with physicians and other professionals in planning and implementing care within hospital policy and legal limitations.
• Assesses needs of patients and families, provides appropriate teaching to facilitate discharge planning, and makes the necessary referrals to community agencies to provide continuity of care.
• Utilizes a holistic approach (considering physical, psych/social, spiritual, educational, safety, and related criteria) appropriate to the age of the patients served in the assigned service area.
• Demonstrates initiative to improve quality of care, patient and employee safety, and customer service.

Qualifications

Must Haves:

• Graduating nursing School in Winter 2027 or Spring 2028 with proof of completion of med/surg clinical
• Current AHA BLS Card- Professional Provider
• All interns are required to be enrolled in a one credit academic class for the summer.

This is a paid internship at $19.30 per hour. Please note that the cost of the associated academic course is not covered by UPH. The course is offered through Allen College in Waterloo, carries one academic credit, and is completed entirely online. The course cost is approximately $800, although the exact amount may vary.

Please register for NU489: External Internship/Externship through Allen College.

We encourage you to discuss this opportunity with your current academic advisor to determine whether your institution offers a comparable course. If not, you may enroll through Allen College, and we can provide you with contact information to help you get registered.

This course is designed to complement the hands-on training provided during the internship by reinforcing the knowledge and skills gained through practical experience with an academic component.