Student Nurse Extern- 3 West - General Medicine

UNC Health; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 20,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

UNC Health in Raleigh, NC is offering a 10-week paid Student Nurse Externship for rising senior ADN and BSN nursing students to gain hands-on clinical experience, strengthen nursing skills, and explore hospital-based care.

The externship emphasizes real-world patient care under RN mentorship, with online scheduling flexibility, a focus on education, and pathways toward professional nursing roles. Dates are May 24–July 31; onsite work with a $18.00 per hour salary.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED is required.
• Currently enrolled in an accredited prelicensure nursing program with anticipated graduation within 12 months.
• Listed as Nursing Assistant I with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
• BLS certification required.
• Fluent in English with strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Observe, collect, and document patient information and report changes to RN.
• Assist patients and families during admission, orientation, and discharge.
• Provide care: vitals, wound care, glucose checks, range of motion, and daily living activities.
• Support indirect care: clean/stock supplies, transport, and assist in orientation.
• Reinforce routine patient teaching and document understanding.
• Assist providers with examinations and procedures and procure equipment as needed.
• In psychiatric settings, assist in orientation, behavior plans, de-escalation, and safety monitoring.

Skills

English language proficiency

Organizational skills

Basic computer skills

Physical stamina

Education

High School Diploma / GED

Enrollment in prelicensure nursing program (within 12 months)

Nursing Assistant I certification

BLS certification

Job description

Description

Student Nurse Externship Program

Launch Your Nursing Career with Hands-On Experience!

Ready to take your nursing education to the next level? Our 10-week, paid summer Student Nurse Externship Program offers rising senior ADN and BSN nursing students an exciting opportunity to gain valuable hands‑on clinical experience, strengthen nursing skills, and explore the dynamic world of hospital-based care. This immersive experience allows you to build confidence, sharpen your clinical judgment, and develop the skills needed to transition from nursing student to professional nurse.

Invest in your future, expand your experience, and take the next step toward becoming the nurse you aspire to be!

Become part of an inclusive organization with over 40,000 diverse employees, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of the unique communities we serve.

3 West - General Medicine/Acute Care Medicine

3 West is a 31 bed, general medicine unit. We care for a variety of medical patients with diagnoses that include COPD, diabetes, pneumonia, renal failure, minor neurological disorders, behavioral health, as well as many others. We are that team who can develop young minds and provide a supportive, mentoring atmosphere. We offer online self‑scheduling, exceptional night and weekend shift differentials, and co‑worker input on holiday rotations. We support education and work hard to be flexible for those co‑workers in school. Several of our bedside staff are masters prepared and 30% are Med/Surg certified nurses. We have several trained preceptors who enjoy guiding co‑workers through the learning process, helping to identify progress goals as well as adapting orientation to fit the experience and needs of their trainee.

Summary:

The goal of the Student Nurse Externship experience is to provide prelicensure nursing students with an immersive experience to enhance their foundational nursing education and role socialization within a clinical setting. The Student Nurse Extern I (SNE I) position is intended for nursing students enrolled in an accredited School of Nursing to function as a member of the patient care team. The SNE I will work with their RN partner as a partner in practice within their Nursing Assistant I scope of practice.

The Student Nurse Extern I demonstrates the ability to learn and apply the concepts they have been taught in their nursing program to provide technically skilled care in their assigned department. This position provides the chance to work with RNs in a variety of healthcare settings, earning valuable experience that will enhance nursing knowledge and prepare the incumbent for a profession 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 facilitates and supports learning experiences to enable the SNE to proficiently perform nursing care activities in both complex and non‑complex situations. Provides routine direct and indirect patient care in a hospital, clinic, or home health care setting. All work performed is under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or provider.

• 1. Observes, collects, and documents patient information obtained while providing care and promptly report significant changes in the patient's condition to a registered nurse or provider. Participates in the collaborative identification and reporting of patient safety issues.
• 2. Provides assistance to patients and their families during admission to the clinical area, orientation to the hospital/clinic/home health experience, and discharge.
• 3. Provides care/ treatments to patients as outlined in plan of care including, but not limited to, the measurement of vital signs, height and weight, specimen collection, skin preps/scrubs, catheter care, capillary blood glucose checks, simple wound care, range of motion exercises, postural drainage, and supportive 1:1 patient and family interactions.
• 4. Provides direct personal care to patients as outlined in plan of care for routine activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, feeding and assisting with ambulation.
• 5. Provides indirect care to patients and assigned area to include, but not limited to, cleaning the work area, changing linens, re‑stocking supplies, cleaning/sterilizing instruments, transporting patients/ supplies/ specimens, assisting in the orientation of new employees and students, and some routine clerical functions.
• 9. Reinforces routine teaching given to patients by the registered nurse or provider and document patient understanding of instructions.
• 10. Assist providers and other health care providers with routine examinations and procedures, as well as procurement of equipment and supplies during emergency situations.
• 11. In the psychiatric setting, aids patients in reality orientation, participates in behavior modification plans/therapy, provides informal support therapy to patients/families, provides verbal de‑escalation of potentially aggressive patients, aids in the physical management of aggressive/out‑of‑control patients, facilitates age appropriate play for children, and monitors the therapeutic milieu activities on assigned unit to ensure that emotional and safety needs of patients are met.

Other Information

Other information:

• Education Requirements:
• High School Diploma/GED
• Current enrollment in an accredited prelicensure nursing program with anticipated graduation within 12 months time from the start of student nurse externship.
• Licensure/Certification Requirements:
• Listed as Nursing Assistant I with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
• Professional Experience Requirements:
• None required.
• Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:
• Fluent in verbal and written English language.
• Ability to organize and prioritize assignments in the delivery of patient care. Attainment and maintenance of unit‑specific competencies.
• Basic computer skills.
• Lift and carry 40-50 lbs. Examples: Push/pull patients on a bed, stretcher (requires 29 lbs. push force), lateral transfers up to 50 lbs. of the patient's weight.
• Frequent to continuous standing/walking.
• Patient care providers may be required to perform activities specific to their role including kneeling, bending, squatting, and performing CPR.

Job Details

Legal Employer: NCHEALTH

Entity: UNC REX Healthcare

Organization Unit: Intermediate and ICU Nursing Overhead

Work Type: Temporary Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00

Salary: $18.00

Work Assignment Type: Onsite

Work Schedule: Variable (Dates: May 24- July 31)

Location of Job: US:NC:Raleigh

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities.