Skip to main content

Ok what exactly IS an externship?

Although I am not close to getting an externship I was just wondering, what exactly is that?  I won't have to do mine until next summer. Here is what I think it is, a glorified volunteering job.  Is that close?  From what I've gathered it seems to be 10 or 12 weeks of volunteering somewhere in order to gain more experience.  Is that right?  And if so, how do you get the job?  Are there only certain hospitals where it is allowed?  Do you just apply to a bunch of different places and hope you get in?  I am wanting to apply to Vanderbilt
Children's Hospital Logo

in Nashville, and so far that's really my only choice.  Is this something where I don't need to not put all my eggs in once basket?

Ok, that's enough questions, anyone have any answers?



Funny College Ecard: 'I'm a nursing student. I smile because the other alternative is to pull all my hair out and run around campus drooling!'

Comments

  1. Frazzled-Razzle-RNJuly 20, 2012 at 12:15 PM

    Gosh I thought I posted on my blog regarding what to expect for either an internship/externship depending on where you live. Basically you have the amount of time correct in some cases it's only 6 weeks long depends on the institution. Some externships are paid and some are not, but yes to gain experience involved with using all of the skills you've learned in school that only nurses get to do. It's incredibly exciting and usually is offered the summer before you graduate or right before you have one year left to complete before you graduate. So maybe for you that would be next summer. Ultimately the benefit to an externship besides gaining experience is to add it to your resume and hopefully secure a job at the place where you do your externship. Overall the school should help you and walk you along through the whole process including getting your application, resume, and cover letters ready for this big step. I hope you get in to Vanderbilt.

    PS I love your little picture of the nursing student;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CandiJuly 20, 2012 at 10:50 PM

      Girl, you probably have talked about it before, but I tend to go over & over stuff. Basically that's what I wanted to know was if most people choose to do their externship's where they are hoping to get a job. That's why I chose Vanderbilt, even though it's over an hour drive to get there. We'll see I guess.

      Delete
    2. Frazzled-Razzle-RNJuly 21, 2012 at 2:12 PM

      Yea, an hour will be difficult but if that's where you want to work then by all means go for it!

      Delete
    3. CandiJuly 21, 2012 at 4:30 PM

      Thanks :D

      Delete
  2. Mary @ This is How My Garden GrowsJuly 20, 2012 at 1:35 PM

    Love the ecard! I stole it and posted on fb :) And I can't answer your question sorry

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I feel so inadequate...

So today I was reading Sophia's blog over at All Things NP , she's a NP student at Penn State.  As I was reading about her interview process with Penn State & her rotations & her Sim Man day I started thinking, I am nowhere NEAR as smart as she is.  I still struggle with what lab values are correct, much less IF they're off then why??!!  I know that I don't put in as much time studying as some of my other classmates do and all of this makes me really doubt myself.  When will this stuff start to really click? When will I start to KNOW this stuff?  I wish I could spend more time studying than I do & in all honesty I probably could, but I also have a very busy life.  I know that's not an excuse as everyone has their own "stuff", but I was seriously thinking as I was reading over her blog that I really need to buckle down & start reading a bit more.  I definitely need to start studying more.  I mean, I'm doing fine in my classes but P...
15 comments
Read more

Got the job!!

So the director of the Med/Surg floor said I would hear something by today and well, I waited as long as I could before calling her seeing as I hadn't heard from her.  I said I would wait until 4:00 but by 3:30 I was chomping at the bit so I called her.  She said "I was just filling out your paperwork to offer you the job"!!! Yay me!!      Now I know it's just a PCT/CNA job, but hey it gets my foot in the door right?  I've talked to several of my friends who are in the semesters ahead of me & they've all said the same thing.  "Get a job NOW".   I have one friend who said she can't even get a PCT job b/c no one will hire her b/c she's too close to graduating.  I never thought of that. Why wouldn't they want to hire you knowing that soon you'd be able to be a nurse there??  I don't know, but I am glad to have the job.    The director said she thinks the pay is $10 an hour, which is pretty dece...
14 comments
Read more

I'm still alive!! Tomorrow is the NCLEX!

So as you can see I have GRADUATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woohoo!!  I am SO happy that nursing school is over, but can we say holy terrified?  Tomorrow is the NCLEX & I feel thoroughly unprepared.  Fortunately our school provided us with the HURST Review  and even though I have been studying this for about 2 weeks now I still feel completely terrified to actually take the test.  Of my former classmates I know of one so far who has failed....so scary... The rest of them are chugging along & passing on a daily basis, hopefully I will be one of them! But to rewind, here are a few pics from graduation & my graduation party that my precious husband & sister threw for me: That's my baby girl to my right, she looks taller than me!   I seriously couldn't have been cheesing any harder!! My nursing bestie & his bf hiding in the back! My study buddy!   My inlaws, aren't they precious!! Definitely one of the ...
7 comments
Read more