Student Nurse Extern I - Youth Inpatient Behavioral Health Cardinal Unit

Description

UNC Hospital Youth Behavioral Health Cardinal Unit has an amazing opportunity for a Student Nurse Extern to join their team for the 2026 Student Nurse External Program from May 26 to August 1, 2026.

Cardinal / 1YBH a 14-bed inpatient unit dedicated to providing comprehensive psychiatric care for adolescents aged 12 to 15 who require acute psychiatric stabilization. Our unit is designed to address the urgent needs of these young individuals, focusing on stabilizing their current crises and setting a foundation for long-term mental health.

UNC Hospitals Youth Behavioral Health is a 54 bed inpatient psychiatric facility located in Butner, NC. The hospital is composed of 4 units designed to care for child and adolescent patients with a variety of common mental health diagnoses, including those with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In a milieu-based, trauma-informed, therapeutic setting, patients are treated by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, including Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Therapy Services, Social Workers, Nursing Services, Pharmacy, Pastoral Care and Nutrition Services. Safety is the key component of the care provided as well as introduction of positive coping skills, healthy living and positive leisure activities.

Summary :

Thegoal of the Student Nurse Externship experience is to provideprelicensure nursing students with an immersive experience to enhance theirfoundational nursing education and role socialization within a clinical

setting.The Student Nurse Extern I (SNE I) position is intended for nursingstudents enrolled in an accredited School of Nursing tofunction as a member ofthe patient care team.The SNE I will work with their RN partner as a partnerin practice within their Nursing Assistant I scope of practice.

The Student Nurse Extern I demonstrates the ability to learn and apply the concepts they have been taughtin their nursing program to provide technically skilled care in their assigneddepartment. This position provides the chance to workwith RNs in a variety of healthcare settings, earning valuable experience thatwill enhance nursing knowledge and prepare the incumbent for a profession as aregistered nurse.

The SNE I reports to the assigned department's Patient Services Manager ordesignated Education Leader and works under the direct supervision of anassigned RN partner. The RN partner facilitates and supports learningexperiences to enable the SNE to proficiently perform nursing care activitiesin both complex and non-complex situations.Provides routine directand indirect patient care in a hospital, clinic, or home health care setting.All work performed is under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or provider.

Responsibilities :

Observes, collects, and documents patient information obtained while providing care and promptly report 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 preps / 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 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 document patient understanding of instructions.

Assist 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.

Other Information

Other information :

Education Requirements :

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

Licensure / Certification Requirements :

Professional Experience Requirements :

Knowledge / Skills / and Abilities Requirements :

Job Details

Legal Employer : STATE

Entity : UNC Medical Center

Organization Unit : YBH IP Unit B Cardinal

Work Type : Temporary Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week : 36.00

Salary Range : $17.43 per hour)

Work Assignment Type : Onsite

Work Schedule : Rotating

Location of Job : Butner : NC : 27509

Exempt From Overtime : Exempt : No

This is a State position employed by UNC Health Care System with UNC Health benefits. If, however, you are presently an employee of another North Carolina agency and currently participate in TSERS or the ORP, you will be eligible to continue participating in those plans at UNC Health.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.

UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email applicant.accommodations@unchealth.unc.edu if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and / or to apply for a career opportunity.