Coxhealth Intermediate Patient Care Externship

Summary

• An Intermediate Patient Care Extern will participate in this Externship to provide patients with basic patient care under the direction of nursing staff. Expected tasks include assisting with activities of daily living, feeding, bathing, ambulating patients, completing vital signs and notifying the primary RN of changed in condition. The Intermediate Patient Care Extern will also have the opportunity to work side by side with a designated RN peer mentor for a patient, or a group of patients, for a designated time frame to provide care for these patients through therapeutic use of self, supervised skill provision, discussion of the patient care/problem solving or nursing process and collaboration with the interdisciplinary team. The Intermediate Patient Care Extern position will be paired with a Nursing Assistant position.
  • The Intermediate Patient Care Extern will be:
    • Exposed to increased clinical exposure to acute care areas in order to build on experiences in their nursing programs.
    • Challenged to think critically while using a holistic perspective toward patient care.
    • Encouraged to foster relationships between the nurse extern and the RN role models and other members of the interdisciplinary health care team.
    • Encouraged to enhance socialization into the culture of nursing to increase the likelihood that externs will choose an acute care facility as their specialty area upon graduation.
    • Provided opportunities for externs to select the areas in which they wish to practice as professionals.
    • Introduced to a realistic clinical employment setting, thus promoting a better transition from student to professional nurse.
    • Encouraged to participate in additional networking opportunities while a student.
    • Provided additional exposure to the fast-paced, specialized and technologically intensive world of nursing.

• Education
  • Required: Currently enrolled in an accredited Registered Nurse Program and have completed a minimum of 2 semesters of clinical rotations in nursing school
• Experience
  • No prior experience required
• Skills
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Exhibits valuable time management skills.
  • Strong analytical/problem solving skills.
  • Flexibility and ability to work in a multi-tasking environment.
• Licensure/Certification/Registration
  • Evidence of successful completion of 2 clinical semesters in accredited Registered Nurse program
  • BLS must be obtained within 90 days