Nurse Extern - Postpartum

Join UNC REX's Student Nurse Externship Program as a Nurse Extern in our 50-bed Postpartum Unit within the Women's Center. This ten-week paid summer program (May 24 – July 31, 2027) is designed for rising senior ADN and BSN nursing students to gain hands-on clinical experience and build nursing skills before graduation. You will work alongside experienced Registered Nurses in a dynamic hospital setting, participating in patient care and observing various specialties.

Clinical Setting

The Postpartum Unit provides high-quality, family-centered care to a diverse patient population including stable antepartum patients, postpartum parents and their newborns, and GYN-surgical patients. The multidisciplinary team includes experienced Registered Nurses and Perinatal Technicians working together to provide compassionate, evidence-based care. Phlebotomists handle all lab collections, allowing nurses to focus on direct patient care. The care model emphasizes family involvement, education, and recovery support during the postpartum stay.

Responsibilities

• Observe, collect, and document patient information while providing care and promptly report significant changes in the patient's condition to a registered nurse or provider
• Participate in collaborative identification and reporting of patient safety issues
• Provide assistance to patients and families during admission, orientation to the hospital experience, and discharge
• Provide care and treatments as outlined in the plan of care, including measurement of vital signs, height and weight, specimen collection, skin preps, catheter care, capillary blood glucose checks, simple wound care, range of motion exercises, postural drainage, and supportive patient and family interactions
• Provide direct personal care for routine activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, feeding, and assisting with ambulation
• Provide indirect care including cleaning the work area, changing linens, restocking supplies, cleaning and sterilizing instruments, transporting patients and supplies, and assisting with orientation of new employees and students
• Reinforce routine teaching given by the registered nurse or provider and document patient understanding
• Assist providers and other healthcare providers with routine examinations and procedures

Required Qualifications

• Current enrollment in an accredited prelicensure nursing program with anticipated graduation within 12 months from the start of the externship
• High school diploma or GED
• Listed as Nursing Assistant I with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
• Fluent 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 lbs, including pushing and pulling patients on beds and stretchers (requires 29 lbs. push force) and lateral transfers up to 50 lbs. of patient weight
• Frequent to continuous standing and walking
• Ability to perform activities including kneeling, bending, squatting, and CPR as required for the role

Schedule and Employment

• Program dates: May 24 – July 31, 2027
• Work type: Temporary Full Time
• Standard hours per week: 40
• Work schedule: Variable
• Work assignment type: Onsite
• Location: Raleigh, NC
• Compensation: $18.00 per hour
• Not exempt from overtime

Reporting Structure

You will report to the assigned department's Patient Services Manager or designated Education Leader and work under the direct supervision of an assigned RN partner. Your RN partner will facilitate and support learning experiences to enable you to proficiently perform nursing care activities in both complex and non-complex situations. All work is performed under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or provider.