Student Nurse Extern - Summer 2026

Student Nurse Extern - Summer 2026

Summer 2026 - Student Nurse Externship! Begins May 18th - concludes last week of July 2026

Inpatient Nursing Department

Part-time Compensation: $20/hr Days Worked: Rotating schedule; Weekend requirement Hours: 24hrs/week Primary Location: Main Hospital - Grand Rapids, MI

SNEs provide important patient care within the Nursing Department. Under the direction of the registered nurse assigned to each patient, this non-licensed team member assists with patient care and other department activities as outlined in this job description and communicates effectively with the RN responsible for each patient. Work performed by each SNE must support the mission, vision, and values of Mary Free Bed.

The externship also provides the opportunity to experience and be a part of excellent rehabilitation nursing and consider this specialty as a professional nurse.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Quality Pillar of Excellence

• Patient Care The SNE provides direct patient care, as delegated by the RN. Patient care performed by an SNE includes, but is not limited to, the following:
• Collects and monitors data and reports physiological, psychological, socio-cultural, and spiritual needs of the patient and families as directed by and in coordination with the patient's assigned RN.
• Obtains and records vital signs using appropriate equipment and technique.
• Answers call lights in a timely, respectful manner
• Documents care in the EMR according to department policies, including content and timeliness of documentation.
• Provides input to the RN for use in an individualized plan of care for each patient
• Transports patients in a safe and timely manner to facilitate patient diagnostic testing and therapy sessions, as needed. Communicates with other team members in order to ensure continuity of care and coordination of services.
• Maintains the patient's living environment in a clean, safe manner
• Assists with collection of quality data, as assigned by the RN, Nursing Supervisor, or Director of Nursing.
• Demonstrates appropriate use of all patient care equipment, in accordance with departmental policies.
• Activity/Comfort Makes an occupied and unoccupied bed.
• Activity/Comfort- Turns and positions patients in bed, ambulates and dangles a patient according to transfer requirements.
• Activity/Comfort Transfers patients using the mode and level of assist indicated by care plan.
• Activity/Comfort Positions/transfers a patient with imparted mobility.
• Activity/Comfort Transports a patient using wheelchair and stretcher.
• Activity/Comfort Performs passive range of motion and assists with active range of motion.
• Hygiene Gives a patient a complete, partial, shower or tub bath, allowing patient to perform according to his/her functional or cognitive ability.
• Hygiene Assists the patient as needed with shampoos, oral care, including denture, face and hand washing.
• Hygiene Performs perineal care and indwelling urinary catheter care.
• Hygiene Performs back and H.S. care.
• Hygiene Changes a non-sterile and sterile dressing.
• Hygiene Performs ileostomy/colostomy care.
• Hygiene Assists with postmortem care.
• Hygiene Performs clean and sterile oral, nasopharyngeal and tracheostomy suctioning.
• Nutrition Passes trays, snacks, and water, feeds a patient, measures, and records intake from dietary trays.
• Nutrition Inserts, irrigates, administers feeding through, and removes various feeding tubes as appropriate.
• Elimination Places and removes a bedpan, fracture pan and urinal, and assists patient with using a bedside commode.
• Elimination empties, measures, and records drainage from a urinary drainage bag, Jackson Pratt drain, Hemovac, and bile bag.
• Elimination Participates in the assessment, development, implementation and evaluation of patient bowel program. Remove fecal impaction, inserts, and removes rectal tube, administers a cleansing and retention enema, and applies and removes fecal incontinence bag.
• Elimination- Performs urinary catheterization, inserts foley under direct of RN and assists in the development of a bladder program for each patient.
• Provides education to patients regarding skin checks and pressure relief.
• Specimen Collection Collects urine, sputum, and stool specimens, obtains wound cultures.
• Specimen Collection Uses a glucometer to test blood glucose levels, tests urine for sugar, acetone, blood or pH and strains for kidney stones.
• Vital Signs/Measurement Measures the following vital signs: oral and tympanic temperature, radial and apical pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and pain rating.
• Vital Signs/Measurement Measures a patient's weight using a standing, chair, sling, and bed scales
• Equipment- Operates the electronic blood pressure cuff, IV pump, feeding pump, and pulse oximeter, sets up oxygen flow meter, provides oxygen therapy using nasal cannula and mask, assists patient with incentive spirometer.
• Equipment applies and removes ice bags, moist or dry hear, ace bandages, arm slings, binders, supports, antiembolism stockings, Intermittent Compression Devices (ICD), soft limb (wrist and ankle) restraints, mitt restraints, pelvic restraint.
• Equipment stocks patients room as appropriate for the unit.
• Infection Control uses aseptic technique and adheres to standard precautions, cares for patients, with special isolation precautions.
• Infection Control uses aseptic technique and adheres to standard precautious, cares for patients with special isolation precautions.
• Infection Control Passes clean linen and bags/disposes soiled linen
• Infection Control Cleans equipment between patients use and cleans equipment prior to return to Central Sterile, replaces full sharps containers.
• Data Collection Collects the following data (as delegated by RN after RN's initial assessment): neuro/behavior, cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, integumentary, neuromuscular, psycho-social, learning needs, and discharge needs.
• Documentation Chart care given as directed by RN.
• Communication Uses the intercom, voalte phone, pneumatic tube and telephone systems, answers patient call lights.
• Communication Reports observations to RN and keeps RN informed of care delivered, prepares/gives report to the oncoming shift.
• Communication Assists in the development of each assigned patients' care plan.
• Miscellaneous Actively participates in maintaining a clean, safe, and efficient work environment.
• Miscellaneous Participates in and attends continuing education programs and meetings related to job description.
• Miscellaneous maintains patient confidentiality.
• Miscellaneous Promotes good departmental and interdepartmental working relationships through courteous and professional communication and behavior.
• Miscellaneous Performs other tasks as delegated by RN appropriate to scope of practice
• Miscellaneous Attends team conference with Patient's RN and participates as appropriate.
• Miscellaneous Develops education plan for assigned patients and families
• Miscellaneous May be required to work on project and present to staff or leadership.
• Communication Each staff member in the Nursing Department is responsible to communicate in a timely, professional, and respectful manner at all times. Responsibilities of the SNE include, but are not limited to:
• Patients and their families or visitors are treated with kindness and respect.
• Customers, physicians, and other staff members are treated with kindness and respect.
• Maintains effective working relationships with employees throughout the organization.
• Treats patient call lights as a primary communication method between the patient and the caregiver, and promptly responds to call lights, in person, as soon as possible.
• Delivers care in a manner that is culturally sensitive and preserves the dignity and rights of each patient. Deals discreetly and sensitively with confidential information and follows all hospital policies related to protected health information.

Service Pillar of Excellence

• Customer Service