Nurse Internship Salary: A Comprehensive Guide for Aspiring Nurses
Choosing a career path in nursing is a journey that requires time to refine skills and gain real-world experience. Nursing internships and externships serve as valuable opportunities for nursing students and recent graduates to bridge the gap between academic theory and practical application. These programs offer clinical experience, mentorship, and networking opportunities, helping aspiring nurses discover their passions and build successful careers.
What are Nursing Internships and Externships?
Nursing internships offer unlicensed nursing students and recent nurse graduates clinical experience shadowing licensed nurses. These internships are often structured as 10- to 12-week summer sessions, although some can extend for longer periods, even up to a year.
Externships are similar to nursing internships in that they involve shadowing experienced nurses and performing duties like those of nursing interns. Nurse externships are typically offered to students in the final stages of their nursing education. For example, the summer between your final semesters is a good time to investigate this option. Some nurse externs are assigned a specific unit and specialty to work in, while others cycle through different units to gain exposure.
The main difference between an extern and an intern is the timing and structure of their experiences. An intern is typically a recent graduate who is completing a training program to further develop clinical skills before fully transitioning into a licensed RN role. They tend to be offered as training for specialized areas, such as the OR, PACU, or ICU.
Benefits of Nursing Internships and Externships
Nursing internships and externships provide hands-on learning experiences with patients from all walks of life. They also help nursing interns understand the interpersonal relationships that shape nursing work. Internships give nursing students a chance to test their knowledge.
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These training positions help nursing students learn more about a specialty area firsthand. Nursing interns may get to experience what nursing looks like in a stroke unit or in a nursing home, discovering the unique methods that nurses use to treat patients in different environments.
Here's a detailed look at the key advantages:
- Bridging the Theory-Practice Gap: Internships give nursing students a chance to gain valuable learning experiences that help them bridge the gap between theory and practice.
- Specialty Exploration: Dozens of different types of nurses exist, and not all nursing students know exactly what specialty area they want to pursue. Without real-world experience, it’s difficult to know if they’ll find it more rewarding to work as a hospice nurse than as a surgical nurse. Nursing internships allow nursing students to better understand what different roles entail.
- Skill Development: Nurse mentors give interns a chance to develop their clinical skills in a safe environment. They regularly provide professional tips that empower nursing interns to work with confidence and expand their practical knowledge.
- Emergency Response Insights: During emergencies, nursing interns get to see how the experts respond and who they call.
- Real-World Exposure: Working beside an experienced nurse day after day gives interns insights not easily learned in an academic setting.
- Knowledge Application: When nurse mentors set up IV lines or collect blood samples, nursing interns can watch and mentally check the steps.
- Networking Opportunities: Internships give nursing students a chance to network with seasoned professionals. The professionals who nursing students meet during their internships may help direct them to work opportunities in the future. Externships provide students with opportunities to build relationships with healthcare professionals, such as unit managers.
- Career Direction: Internships often introduce nurses to areas or aspects of nursing unfamiliar to them. This exposure can open up new interests that help direct a nurse’s career. Nursing internships can also help nurses figure out areas of nursing that don’t suit their personalities or natural talents best.
Requirements and Responsibilities
Most nursing internships require applicants to meet certain criteria, such as enrollment in an accredited nursing program and completion of specific courses. Course requirements will vary according to the nature of the internship. Before you begin taking nursing classes, you’ll need to complete prerequisite courses from a community college or four-year university. Once you’ve completed these courses, you’ll apply and enroll in an accredited nursing program. This can be either an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. This foundational education is essential for helping you learn basic nursing skills. Before you can apply for a nurse externship, you’ll need to complete a few semesters of nursing school. You’ll rotate through various clinical settings, which may include med-surg, psych nursing, obstetrics, and pediatrics. Once you meet eligibility requirements, it’s time to start looking for student nurse positions. Many hospitals and healthcare facilities offer externship programs over summer breaks, but they can be available throughout the year as well. When applying, make sure your resume highlights your relevant coursework, clinical experience, and passion for nursing. In interviews, be prepared to discuss what you hope to learn during the externship and how the experience will help you transition into your future role as an RN.
Settings for nursing internships can vary, but most nursing interns work in inpatient facilities, such as hospitals and long-term care facilities. Nursing interns can expect establishments to assign them a nurse mentor, also referred to as a nurse preceptor. The nurse mentor is an experienced registered nurse. Interns perform their work within arm’s reach of their mentors, who can answer questions and offer guidance and feedback. Typically, an intern’s work schedule will mirror the mentor’s.
Nursing interns observe registered nurses performing their day-to-day duties. As such, they get direct exposure to the hours and shifts that nurses work, their interactions with peers and patients, and their responsibilities. In addition to observing their mentors, interns carry out many duties themselves. Often they assume a role similar to that of a nursing assistant. This involves helping patients with daily living activities, such as eating and hygiene. Depending on the setting and nature of the intern position, nursing intern duties can vary.
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Because nurse externs are unlicensed, their scope of practice is limited and they work under the supervision of licensed personnel. They’re not able to administer medications, perform invasive procedures, or make clinical decisions independently.
Nurse Extern vs. CNA
Nurse externs and CNAs can both fill supportive roles for patients and clinicians, however their goals and trajectories are different. Nurse externs are in temporary positions, and will go on to complete school and become RNs. CNAs go through different training and focus on assisting patients with basic needs like hygiene, feeding, and mobility.
Compensation for Nursing Interns and Externs
While most nursing interns receive pay for their work, some positions don’t pay. The median hourly rate for paid positions was about $23 as of December 2021, according to PayScale. The hourly pay range for nursing interns is between around $12 and $38. In a full year, the average nurse extern salary is about $42,000.
Finding the Right Internship or Externship
Searching for and landing a nursing internship takes thoughtful planning. Nursing internships can have widely different pay, specialty areas, settings, work hours, and time frames. Before starting an internship search, nurses should examine their circumstances to determine when and how many hours they can feasibly work given their other responsibilities. They should also consider whether they can accept an unpaid position.
Nursing internship applications often have deadlines. Starting a nursing internship search early not only helps nurses meet deadlines and avoid missed opportunities but also gives nurses a chance to prepare strong applications. This is important because nursing internships, especially paid ones, are competitive.
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Nurses have many options for locating nursing internships. School career centers are among them. These resources often maintain lists of available nursing internships. Nurses can also turn to their school’s career center for help with resumes and interview preparation. In one-on-one sessions with career counselors, nurses can get expert critiques on their applications.
Job fairs offer nurses another great opportunity to find the perfect nursing internship. These events bring together many organizations with job openings, giving nurses a chance to meet many potential employers at one time. In addition, job fairs give nurses a chance to present themselves in person and make a positive impression.
Nursing school alumni networks can serve as a great resource for nurses looking for internship opportunities. Alumni may also have recommendations about how to land specific internships. During their internship search, nurses may consider reaching out to healthcare organizations that interest them about internship opportunities. Sometimes, organizations without active internship programs are open to taking on interns.
Many professional nursing associations have career centers with online job boards where nurses can find internship opportunities. Here are a few examples:
- The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology career center caters to advanced practice nurses in anesthesiology.
- The Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses is a professional nurse association that caters to advanced practice nurses in medical surgery. It offers a job search engine specifically for internships and entry-level jobs and allows users to create free profiles that showcase themselves to potential employers.
- The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), which helps to set national standards for nursing education, offers a Government Affairs and Policy Experience Internship for nurses interested in health and educational policies.
- Work the World is an organization that arranges nursing internships and other healthcare internships abroad.
- Future Health Professionals is a student-led organization that promotes healthcare careers.
Examples of Internship Programs
Several healthcare organizations offer structured internship programs for nursing students. Here are a few examples:
- Mayo Clinic: Mayo Clinic offers various student nurse internship programs at its campuses in Rochester, Minnesota; Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona; Eau Claire and La Crosse, Wisconsin; and southeast Minnesota. These programs provide skill-based, paid full-time opportunities for nursing students to gain valuable clinical skills and experience, working alongside registered nurses in diverse specialties. The Summer III Student Nurse Internship at Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota is a skill based paid 10-week full time program, providing opportunities to gain valuable clinical skills and experience. Rochester, MN campus has over 60 specialties, two hospitals, 10 ICUs, and around 130 operating rooms. Qualifications include completion of junior year in an accredited bachelor’s in nursing program required. Must have completed junior year and graduating no later than following June of internship. Enrollment in MN summer internship credit required. The Student Surgical Technologist Internship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota offers a unique educational opportunity. This experience is intended for students who will graduate from a CAAHEP or ABHES accredited surgical technology program within the next academic year. The Student Nurse Extern Summer Program at Mayo Clinic's campus in Phoenix/ Scottsdale offers nursing students a unique educational opportunity to gain valuable clinical experience in a high-acuity and diverse patient population. Nurse extern opportunities are available in all inpatient clinical areas. Completion of third semester (Block III) of an associate degree nursing program. The Mayo Clinic Health System Student Nurse Internship Program in Eau Claire, WI is a skill based paid 11-week full time program for nursing students, providing opportunities to gain valuable clinical skills and experience. Interns rotate to different clinic and hospital departments including those in Eau Claire, Osseo, Menomonie and/or Barron. Must be qualified to graduate from an accredited baccalaureate nursing program (BSN) or associate nursing program (ADN) by following December or May of summer internship. The Mayo Clinic Health System Student Nurse Internship in La Crosse, WI is a skill based paid 11-week full time program for nursing students, providing opportunities to gain valuable clinical skills and experience. Qualifications include completion of junior year in an accredited bachelor’s in nursing program required. Must have completed junior year and graduating no later than following June of internship. Enrollment in MN summer internship credit required. The Mayo Clinic Health System Student Nurse Internship in southeast Minnesota is a skill-based paid 10-week full time program for nursing students, providing opportunities to gain valuable clinical skills and experience. Qualifications include the completion of two semesters in an Associate’s in nursing program or the junior year in a bachelor’s in nursing program. Must be graduating no later than the June following the internship. Enrollment in a MN summer internship credit is required.
- IntelyCare: IntelyCare has externship positions in facilities across the country.
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