Student Nurse Extern I

Join UNC Health as a Student Nurse Extern I this summer and gain immersive clinical experience while completing your nursing degree. This temporary position is designed for prelicensure nursing students to enhance their foundational education and role socialization within a hospital, clinic, or home health care setting. You will work as a member of the patient care team under the direct supervision of an assigned RN partner, functioning within the Nursing Assistant I scope of practice.

This externship runs from May or June 2027 through August 2027, offering up to 36 hours per week. Shifts may be 8 or 12 hours (preferred) or worked in 4-hour increments.

Clinical Setting

You will work in a variety of healthcare settings including inpatient hospital units, clinics, or home health care environments. In psychiatric settings, additional responsibilities include reality orientation, behavior modification support, de-escalation techniques, and therapeutic milieu monitoring.

Responsibilities

• Observe, collect, and document patient information while providing care and promptly report significant changes in patient condition to the RN or provider
• Participate in collaborative identification and reporting of patient safety issues
• Assist patients and families during admission, orientation, and discharge
• Provide direct patient care including vital signs, height and weight measurement, 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 work areas, changing linens, restocking supplies, cleaning and sterilizing instruments, transporting patients and supplies, assisting with employee and student orientation, and routine clerical functions
• Reinforce routine teaching provided by the RN or provider and document patient understanding
• Assist providers with routine examinations and procedures and procure equipment and supplies during emergency situations
• In psychiatric settings: aid in reality orientation, participate in behavior modification plans and therapy, provide informal support to patients and families, perform verbal de-escalation of potentially aggressive patients, assist in physical management of aggressive or out-of-control patients, facilitate age-appropriate play for children, and monitor therapeutic milieu activities

Required Qualifications

• Successfully completed junior year or first year in a BSN or ADN program and currently enrolled in that same program
• North Carolina CNA (Nursing Assistant I) listing
• High school diploma or GED (higher-level degree may satisfy this requirement)
• Anticipated graduation within 12 months from the start of the externship
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
• Fluent in verbal and written English
• Ability to organize and prioritize assignments in patient care delivery
• Basic computer skills
• Physical ability to lift and carry 40-50 lbs, including pushing and pulling patients on beds or 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 by the role

Application Requirements

Submit a resume or cover letter that includes:

• Clinical practice experience
• Volunteer or community involvement
• Statement addressing why you are the best candidate for the opportunity
• Two instructor recommendations, one from a clinical rotation
• Demonstration of acceptable attendance and commitment to schedule and studies
• Examples of clinical aptitude and organizational skills
• Recognition of knowledge boundaries and scope of practice
• Understanding and delivery of holistic, empathetic patient care

Compensation

• Hourly rate: $18.00
• Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity

Employment Details

• Legal Employer: NC Health (Rex Healthcare, Inc., d/b/a NC Health), a private, fully-owned subsidiary of UNC Health Care System
• Entity: Johnston Health
• Work Type: Temporary Full Time
• Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00
• Work Assignment Type: Onsite
• Work Schedule: Variable
• Location: Smithfield, North Carolina
• Exempt From Overtime: No

Supervision

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 who will facilitate and support your learning experiences.