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Nurse Extern skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Angela Mund,

Angela Mund

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical nurse extern skills. We ranked the top skills for nurse externs based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 38.5% of nurse extern resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a nurse extern needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 nurse extern skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how nurse externs use patients:

Conducted physical examinations on adult/geriatric patients with acute/chronic orthopedic problems with an emphasis on cervical and back injuries.
Delivered high-quality and compassionate care to patients and their family in accordance with Hospital policies and procedure.

2. Vital Signs

Vital signs are a set of values indicating different body systems' performance. They are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The four major vital signs used in medicine to assess a patient are body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure.

Here's how nurse externs use vital signs:

Worked on maternity and Gerontology/Psychiatric Unit * Document vital signs * Recorded patient information * Documented case information * Monitored clients behavior
Performed and recorded vital signs; Monitored and recorded intake/output of patients.

3. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how nurse externs use cpr:

Respond to Code situations, Perform CPR when necessary, adapting to difficult situations and making decision quickly with confidence.
Performed EKG's; CPR, suture preparation; wound dressings; Foley care & insertion; stocked supplies.

4. Direct Patient Care

Here's how nurse externs use direct patient care:

Provided direct patient care including education, vital signs documentation, ambulation of postoperative patients and all patient charting.
Provided direct patient care under supervision of a preceptor following facility and university policies for 156 clinical hours.

5. Direct Supervision

Direct supervision is a term used to indicate that a person is supervising a certain task or a certain person while being physically present or in close proximity. It refers to the presence of a person and the availability of their supervision in something if it is needed.

Here's how nurse externs use direct supervision:

Provided therapeutic care under the direct supervision of a registered nurse assessing patients planning/performing interventions and involved in treatments including medications.
Developed treatment plans according to evidence-based medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics under the direct supervision of a pediatrician.

6. Patient Care

Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

Here's how nurse externs use patient care:

Performed basic nursing procedures and assisted with patient care at Veterans Administration Hospital and Whispering Pines Nursing Home Facility.
Worked alongside a registered nurse preceptor to deliver quality, evidenced-based patient care on a cardiac step-down/telemetry specialty unit.

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7. IV

Here's how nurse externs use iv:

Gain more clinical experience and learned more nursing procedures*IV's*Sterilization procedures*Patients history*Computer Documentation*Communication with staff and patients family
Recorded input and output measurements, performed medication administration, orally and IV: subcutaneously, intramuscular, and sub-dermal.

8. Medical-Surgical

Medical-surgical is a type of nursing that deals with adult patients who are recovering from surgeries or are acutely ill.

Here's how nurse externs use medical-surgical:

Used professional judgment and operated independently under the supervision of a Registered Nurse on the Medical-Surgical Unit of Lonesome Pine Hospital.
Provided basic nursing care for five patients on a medical-surgical unit under the supervision and direction of a Registered Nurse/Mentor.

9. Infection Control

Infection control describes the principles and practices used in hospitals and other healthcare facilities to control and minimize the spread of infections with the aim of lowering rates of infection. Infection control refers to the process of detecting and controlling pathogens in order to reduce their spread.

Here's how nurse externs use infection control:

Researched universal precautions concerning infection control with other interns; submitted proposal to Board of Nursing who implemented the suggestion.
Monitored health and safety compliance and strict infection control protocols and ensured proper infection prevention procedures within the unit.

10. Catheter

Here's how nurse externs use catheter:

Readied patients for surgery, including catheter insertions and antibacterial surgical preps.
Performed discontinuation of peripheral IVs and urinary catheters with appropriate documentation following.

11. Registered Nursing

Here's how nurse externs use registered nursing:

Assisted Doctors and Registered nursing staff with the physical care of patients and communicated the patient's status.
Assist Nursing staff with dressing changes and other patient care procedures as requested by licensed/registered nursing staff.

12. Patient Safety

Here's how nurse externs use patient safety:

Coordinated performance improvement initiatives and established Patient Safety programs throughout hospital with other disciplines in teams, work groups and committees.
Performed a wide variety of nursing skills under a designated preceptor * Performed patient assessments * Maintained patient safety and satisfaction

13. EKG

Here's how nurse externs use ekg:

Utilized critical thinking and anticipated patient needs through EKG and telemetry monitoring.
Assisted patients with activities of daily living, obtained vital signs and assessments, and performed 12 lead EKG's.

14. Blood Pressure

Here's how nurse externs use blood pressure:

Charted vitals including blood pressure, temperature, and blood sugar levels and inputted information into electronic medical records
Blood pressure reading every Wednesday with assisted of a community registered nurse.

15. Compassion

Here's how nurse externs use compassion:

Demonstrated compassion through interacting with patients.
Demonstrated compassion and empathy with patients and family members while providing excellent health care.

12 Nurse Extern Resume Examples

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What skills help Nurse Externs find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What type of skills will young Nurse Externs need?

Angela Mund

Vice President, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists

To meet the needs of our current volatile and complex healthcare landscape, all healthcare providers will need to understand the business of healthcare, in addition to providing expert patient care. Starting in 2025, all graduates from nurse anesthesia programs will be awarded a doctoral degree, a doctorate in nursing practice (DNP), or a doctorate in nurse anesthesia practice (DNAP). These degree programs include additional anesthesia experience as well as an understanding of effective leadership, healthcare economics and reimbursement, the use of big data for improving patient outcomes, and evidence-based practice.

What skills stand out on Nurse Extern resumes?

Angela Mund

Vice President, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists

To become a CRNA, the applicant must first be a registered nurse and graduate of a baccalaureate nursing program. A minimum of one year of clinical experience in an intensive care unit (ICU) is required. The application process is rigorous, and many nurse anesthesia programs are seeing higher than typical applicant numbers, perhaps due to the impact of COVID-19 on the ICU nurse workforce.

The most competitive applicants will have an overall GPA >3.5. Basic science courses are heavily weighted with respect to both course grade and type of course. A competitive resumé should include evidence of clinical expertise, leadership, volunteerism, and scholarly work. In addition, all registered nurse applicants should have shadowed a CRNA to learn about the profession prior to application. The interview process may include assessments of critical thinking, decision-making, and emotional intelligence.

What soft skills should all Nurse Externs possess?

Diane Salvador Ph.D.

Executive Director and Professor, Elmhurst University

The most important skill for new nursing graduates is critical thinking. You will be put into varying roles and assume different responsibilities. You must critically think and evaluate situations you find yourself in and make wise nursing decisions. Another important skill that we emphasize in education is communication - this is key to safe, quality care.

What hard/technical skills are most important for Nurse Externs?

Diane Salvador Ph.D.

Executive Director and Professor, Elmhurst University

New nurses should be prepared to demonstrate proficiency in basic nursing care and procedures. It is important to realize that each hospital has its own policy and procedure to follow, so taking advantage of your nurse preceptor and orientation program will ensure you are familiar with these basic procedures.

What Nurse Extern skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Amy Bruce

Chair, Program Director, University of Charleston

If a gap year is taken in nursing school, the student should try to work as a Certified Nurse Assistant or Nurse Extern. This will keep them in the field and keep their experiences and current knowledge fresh until he or she can return to school.

Do you want to know more?

List of nurse extern skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a nurse extern resume and required skills for a nurse extern to have include:

Patients
Vital Signs
CPR
Direct Patient Care
Direct Supervision
Patient Care
IV
Medical-Surgical
Infection Control
Catheter
Registered Nursing
Patient Safety
EKG
Blood Pressure
Compassion
ICU

Telemetry
Medication Administration
Blood Glucose
Oncology
Quality Patient Care
Critical Care
ADL
Medical-Surgical Nursing
Patient Education
Patient Rooms
Patient Assessment
Bed Linens
Resuscitation
HIPAA
Stretchers
Advanced Life Support

Blood Draws
Discharge Planning
Tracheostomy
Oral Care
Patient Teaching
IM
Tube Feedings
Nursing Diagnosis
NG
Food Trays
Foley Catheters
PACU
Surgical Procedures
Physical Assessments
Patient Charts

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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Nurse Extern Skills

Updated January 8, 2025

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