Student Nurse Extern - Acute Neurosurgery and ENT Care

Description

The Acute Neurosurgery and ENT Care Unit is an 18-bed unit comprised of post‑operative surgical patients. Our Neurosurgical patients have a variety of presentations including post‑operative brain and spinal surgeries, cancer, neuro‑ and spinal‑trauma, and stroke. Our ENT patients predominately present with head and neck malignancies, including cancer and infection, and require a variety of surgical interventions involving the head, mouth, tongue, jaw, thyroid, and oropharynx.

The goal of the Student Nurse Externship experience is to provide prelicensure nursing students with an immersive experience to enhance their foundational nursing education and role socialization within a clinical setting. The Student Nurse Extern I (SNE I) position is intended for nursing students enrolled in an accredited School of Nursing to function as a member of the patient care team.

The SNE I will work with their RN partner as a partner in practice within their Nursing Assistant I scope of practice.

• Observes, collects, and documents patient information obtained while providing care and promptly reports significant changes in the patient's condition to a registered nurse or provider. Participates in the collaborative identification and reporting of patient safety issues.
• Provides assistance to patients and their families during admission to the clinical area, orientation to the hospital/clinic/home health experience, and discharge.
• Provides care/treatments to patients as outlined in plan of care including, but not limited to, the measurement of vital signs, height and weight, specimen collection, skin prep/scrubs, catheter care, capillary blood glucose checks, simple wound care, range of motion exercises, postural drainage, and supportive 1:1 patient and family interactions.
• Provides direct personal care to patients as outlined in plan of care for routine activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, feeding and assisting with ambulation.
• Provides indirect care to patients and assigned area to include, but not limited to, cleaning the work area, changing linens, re‑stocking supplies, cleaning/sterilizing instruments, transporting patients/supplies/specimens, assisting in the orientation of new employees and students, and some routine clerical functions.
• Reinforces routine teaching given to patients by the registered nurse or provider and documents patient understanding of instructions.
• Assists providers and other health care providers with routine examinations and procedures, as well as procurement of equipment and supplies during emergency situations.
• In the psychiatric setting, aids patients in reality orientation, participates in behavior modification plans/therapy, provides informal support therapy to patients/families, provides verbal de‑escalation of potentially aggressive patients, aids in the physical management of aggressive/out‑of‑control patients, facilitates age‑appropriate play for children, and monitors the therapeutic milieu activities on assigned unit to ensure that emotional and safety needs of patients are met.

Education Requirements:

• High School Diploma/GED
• Current enrollment in an accredited prelicensure nursing program with anticipated graduation within 12 months of the start of student nurse externship.

Licensure/Certification Requirements:

• Listed as Nursing Assistant I with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification

Professional Experience Requirements:

• None required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Requirements:

• Fluent in verbal and written English language.
• Ability to organize and prioritize assignments in the delivery of patient care. Attainment and maintenance of unit‑specific competencies.
• Basic computer skills.
• Lift and carry 40‑50 lbs. Examples:
  Push/pull patients on a bed, stretcher (requires 29 lbs. push force), lateral transfers up to 50 lbs. of the patient's weight.
• Frequent to continuous standing/walking.
• Patient care providers may be required to perform activities specific to their role including kneeling, bending, squatting, and performing CPR.

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