Nursing students can take their classroom learning and apply it to real-world experiences—all while getting paid! The nurse externship program at Meadville Medical Center provides a setting in which nursing students can care for patients alongside other healthcare professionals, build relationships with colleagues, gain confidence in their work, and experience a true work culture and environment—all before graduating their program! Requirements for the nurse externship include:
“Be ready to learn. Be ready to become the nurse that you wanted to be when you started freshman year of nursing school.”
Kirsten Devore, BSN/RN went through the extern program at Meadville Medical Center before taking a full-time position in the ICU. In this video, she discusses what sets MMC’s extern program apart in the fact that externs can switch areas to ensure they are getting the most out of their learning opportunities and pursing their strengths.
If you are unsure of the specialty in which you want to work, Meadville Medical Center is willing to rotate you through clinical units allowing time to find your fit before graduation! Externs work 1-on-1 with an RN, assisting with all aspects of patient care. Day, evening and night shifts are available, and externs may choose to work 4, 8, or 12-hour shifts. You choose your schedule!
Clinical units for the externship are available in the following areas:
Most nurse externs in the program at Meadville Medical Center are going into full-time employment after graduation. In fact, 18 of the 19 externs from MMC’s Spring 2024 program accepted employment, and all hires landed positions within their preferred specialty!
Meadville Medical Center will accept an RN application from an extern and if offered, will hold the position for 1 year prior to extern’s graduation. As of August 2024, many of our nursing positions also come with a guaranteed sign-on bonus.
Zoe Jackard has worked at Meadville Medical Center since 2022, and has taken a similar path as other externs in gaining professional experience in a hospital setting before and after entering nursing school. Her first position was as a patient care technician on the med-surg floor for 1.5 years. She stayed on for an additional 9 months as a nurse extern before transferring to the New Life Unit, where she has been an extern now for more than 7 months!
Zoe plans to stay with the New Life Unit once she graduates from PennWest Edinboro in 2025.
“The nurse extern program has been very beneficial by exposing me to real-world situations and experiences that would not be obtainable in a classroom environment. It has provided guidance from experienced nurses as well as a foundation as I pursue my nursing career. This program gives nursing students a chance to get their foot in the door and pursue a career in nursing, and I encourage all nursing students to participate as an extern.”
Chloe Leech has had a more direct path to her nursing career, and one that shows that getting a foot in the door can lead to bigger opportunities!
She began her career at Meadville Medical Center as a patient care technician after her freshman year of college at Edinboro University (now PennWest). She transitioned to the role of nurse extern following her sophomore year. Chloe has already been offered a full-time nursing position at MMC, and will be working exclusively in the ICU starting May 2025 after graduation.
“The extern program has been beyond valuable in helping me gain experience and confidence as I prepare to be a nurse. It provides hands on experience and gives a clinical picture of concepts learned about in school. Meadville Medical Center has been very accommodating with my schedule, allowing me to work while receiving my education. The guidance I have received from experienced nurses has provided me with knowledge that cannot be obtained in any classroom setting, and I would encourage every nursing student to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Before gaining any kind of clinical experience, Kayla Freund worked in various positions in which she had to interact with people, whether it was bartending, billing, or customer service. She decided to return to school at Edinboro University (now PennWest) for nursing and utilize opportunities offered at Meadville Medical Center, such as the extern program, for real-world nursing experience.
The extern program at MMC also offered Kayla flexibility to work on her nursing education while still working to support herself financially. Whereas some students enjoy the ability to work a couple days each week, Kayla needed to work full time while attending school as an adult student, and pick up shifts when she could as an extern. Not only was Kayla able to work alongside RNs and gain valuable patient care experience, her externship allowed her to focus on really understanding important subjects, like medication management, and seemingly basic but essential skills, such as time management. A self-admitted “people person who has to stay busy”, Kayla began her externship in medical surgical before moving on to wound care and then intensive care unit. Eventually, she was also able to shift her professional focus and schedule exclusively to the extern program, choosing to work 40-hour weeks while pursing her bachelor’s degree.
“Essentially, the nurse extern program at MMC helps you build confidence and sets you up for success. As an extern, you will learn how to make clinical decisions and build a rapport with people. You’re here to work, but especially to learn, and this will help you find your niche in the field of nursing.”
