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What is a nurse extern and how to become one
Nursing externships are part of the curriculum of a nursing school, taking place before graduation. Nursing externs work in hospitals or clinics, shadowing a registered nurse to gain practical experience on the job to complement their theoretical knowledge.
Apart from getting familiar with the practical duties of a nurse, externs have the opportunity to attend nursing workshops and conferences during their practice period to figure out whether they would like to gain specialized training in some area of nursing.
Nursing externships are unpaid, as you have to be enrolled in a nursing school to attend an externship program. They do, however, provide an excellent opportunity for networking and gaining experience, which largely contributes to your chances of getting hired right out of nursing school.
What general advice would you give to a nurse extern?
Lisa Rebeschi Ph.D.
Associate Dean of the School of Nursing Professor of Nursing, Quinnipiac University
Avg. Salary $37,156
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 6%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%
Asian 9.91%
Black or African American 11.54%
Hispanic or Latino 8.92%
Unknown 4.25%
White 64.94%
Genderfemale 85.70%
male 14.30%
Age - 43American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 43Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is good
6.4 - fair
Nurse extern career paths
Key steps to become a nurse extern
Explore nurse extern education requirements
Start to develop specific nurse extern skills
Skills Percentages Patients 38.55% Vital Signs 11.26% CPR 4.39% Direct Patient Care 3.70% Direct Supervision 3.63% Complete relevant nurse extern training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New nurse externs learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a nurse extern based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real nurse extern resumes.Obtain the necessary licensing
Becoming a licensed nurse extern usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed nurse extern in most of states. 43 states require nurse externs to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.State Education Exam License url Alabama Degree required State exam required Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Alaska Degree required Third-party exam required Nurse, Licensed Practical Arkansas Degree required Third-party exam required Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) California Degree required Third-party exam required Licensed Vocational Nurse Colorado Degree required Third-party exam required Licensed Practical Nurse Gain additional nurse extern certifications
More About CertificationsNurse extern certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific nurse extern certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for nurse externs include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Patient Care Technician.
Research nurse extern duties and responsibilities
- Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
- Assist patients with activities of daily living, obtain vital signs and assessments, and perform 12 lead EKG's.
- Perform initial assessments on patients in outpatient oncology clinic; recording vital signs, significant medical history and chief complaints.
- Shadow to adult medical-surgical nurse staff- head-to-toe assessment, assist with medication administration, computer charting with co-signor, and telemetry monitoring
Prepare your nurse extern resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your nurse extern resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a nurse extern resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable nurse extern resume templates
Build a professional nurse extern resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your nurse extern resume.
Apply for nurse extern jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a nurse extern job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first nurse extern job
Are you a nurse extern?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average nurse extern salary
The average nurse extern salary in the United States is $37,156 per year or $18 per hour. Nurse extern salaries range between $29,000 and $47,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do nurse externs rate their job?
Nurse extern reviews
Caring for patients
Staffing ratios, unfairness, constant expectations. Healthcare is a business but doesn’t treat nurses like business employees
helping people and saving lives
the pay is not good not enough for the lifestyle I would like to live
The feeling I get when helping people.
Nursing isn’t what it was 12yrs ago when I started. It is all about “family centered care” and not what is actually best for the patient. Not only am I a nurse and caring for the patient, but I’m the house keeper, waitress, and coffee go getter. There is no more respect for nurses and their patients.
Updated January 8, 2025
