Student Nurse Internship Program

Have You Evaluated the Quality and Reputation of the Institution You Want to Attend?

Unfortunately, there are schools that are not in good standing and have a history of defrauding students. Prior to attending any college or university, check the school's accreditation, which is an indication that the school has met standards of quality. If a school does meet standards of quality, it is troubling for future students.

Regional accreditation

Choose a college or university that has achieved regional accreditation. Regional accreditation is important so you may be able to:

• Receive federal financial aid, e.g. Pell grants or loans
• Transfer credits to other schools or advance your degree
• Access jobs
• Take licensing exams

Accreditation may be confusing since there are both national and regional accrediting agencies, and not all are equally reliable. The difference between regional and national accreditation, is that regional accreditation is older, more prestigious, rigorous, and standardized than national accreditation.

• For-profit institutions or schools that award certificates and degrees, may have national accreditation status, yet are not regionally accredited.

Always look for a statement that the school has regional accreditation prior to enrolling in a school.

Nursing Program Accreditation

Quality nursing programs voluntarily pursue program-level accreditation from a specialized agency for an additional layer of review that demonstrates high quality and standards for nursing education.

Accredited nursing programs:

• provide quality education following established standards for education and training
• are preferred by employers
• ensures students are eligible for financial aid
• ensures students opportunity to take licensing exam- NCLEX or certification exams
• transfers credits to other schools or to advance your degree

The U.S. Department of Education has determined three accrediting agencies for nursing programs:

• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
• National League for Nursing (NLN) Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA)

Regardless if the program is online or classroom based, always verify that the program you select has nursing accreditation. Look for a statement or advertisement of the nursing program's accreditation, or one of the following symbols displayed prior to enrolling in a nursing program. Note, being a member of NLN is not the same as accreditation by NLN CNEA.

State Board of Nursing Approval for Nursing Program

Each State Board of Nursing sets standards and approves nursing schools in their state that can educate and prepare students for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

Are you are attending an out-of-state nursing program? The State Board of Nursing in the state you plan to participate in clinical experience, may require your school to complete specific requirements and possibly pay a fee, prior to any student clinical learning. This requirement is mandatory, e.g. in North Dakota for students attending out-of-state pre-licensure nursing programs (practical nursing, RN, nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, and clinical nurse specialist).

Prior to enrolling in a nursing program, verify approval by the State Board of Nursing or distance nursing education recognition, which will allow you to participate in clinical experiences in the state you reside.

Once you’ve attained your High School Diploma or GED, you can pursue:

• Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) or Nurse Assistant (NA): several weeks
• Licensed Practical Nurse: 12-24 months
• Registered Nurse: Associate Degree: 2 years
• Registered Nurse: Accelerated Program: 12-18 months
• Registered Nurse: Baccalaureate Degree: 4 years

Once you’ve attained your LPN, you can pursue:

• Registered Nurse: Associate Degree: 2 years
• Transition Program to Baccalaureate Degree (BSN or BAN): 1-2 years

Once you’ve attained your RN Associate Degree, you can pursue:

• Transition Program to Baccalaureate Degree (BSN or BAN): 1-2 years

Once you’ve attained your RN Accelerated Degree or RN Baccalaureate Degree, you can pursue:

• Master of Science in Nursing (Clinical Nurse Specialist, Certified Nurse Midwife, Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Administration, Nursing Education, Other): 2 years
• Doctorate of Nursing Practice DNP: 2-3 years

Once you’ve attained your Master of Science in Nursing, you can pursue:

• Doctorate of Philosophy PhD: 3+ years

Aim to Create Something that:

• Readers will notice and remember
• Stands out from other essays
• Showcases that you are interesting, capable, positive
• Highlights you as the student scholarship recipient

Step 1: Review Requirements

• Review: scholarship requirements, criteria, and minimum qualifications
• Read instructions on formatting, length, deadline, and questions to address
• Know who will read the essay
• Research the specific scholarship and organization
• Do not use the same essay for every application

Step 2: Draft an Outline

• Introduction
  • Catch the reader’s attention and spark their interest. Introduce main points and yourself, e.g. your nursing career or work
• Body
  • Provide details of main points and write to convince the reader why you should be chosen for scholarship
  • Provide examples of character, personal strengths, inspirations, interest in nursing, previous work, leadership, volunteer experience, and membership of organizations
  • Identify educational and nursing career goals, what you will do with this degree, and how the scholarship will help you achieve your goals
• Conclusion
  • Summarize the points made within the essay and connect the story
  • Provide a confident and interesting conclusion to leave a lasting impression

Step 3: Unique Information

• Include challenges in life, e.g. opportunities to stand out from others
• Personal nursing experiences or nursing stories e.g. start with “I….”
• Provide how you would utilize the scholarship e.g. start your nursing career or advance your nursing career

Step 4: Proofread

• Check content, grammar, spelling, punctuation
• Check writing: is it clear and to the point (no repeating thoughts, ideas)
• Check: is it a logical progression of ideas
• IMPORTANT: have 3-4 other people read the essay & provide feedback

The below tips are suggestions and are not a guarantee to passing the exam.

1. Review the test outline
   Check out the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) website to review the NCLEX-RN test plan. The plan provides a summary of the content that may be assessed during the exam. It serves as a guide for the test candidate. Review the test plan to know what to expect, such as the formatting of the test, the types of questions and the percentage of questions in each category.
2. Take practice exams
   Utilizing practice exams is a great way to prepare – but answering the questions is only the first part of the process. After taking the exam, be sure to review the questions you answered incorrectly. Read the rationale given for the correct answer. Take notes of those concepts that you need or want to revisit so you can modify your study plan for those areas that you found difficult.
3. Create a study plan
   There are many options available to prepare for the NCLEX exam. There are various review courses and practice exams offered by many companies. Take time to review the options and choose one that fits your study style the best. When creating your study plan, be sure to include the days of the week you will study, the days that you will take off and the days that you will take practice exams. Make a goal for each study day, such as, “I will study this specific content topic” or “I will take X amount of practice exam questions.” Be intentional about setting your goals and writing out your study plan to avoid wasting your time. When studying for the exam, take note of the time of day you are able to focus best and modify your study plan so you are retaining as much as possible during each study session.
4. Carefully choose your exam time
   When scheduling your exam, consider your best time of day. Be sure to schedule the exam when you will be the most alert or able to focus. If you are a morning person, schedule a morning test. If you more active in the afternoon, then schedule the exam for after lunch.
5. Plan ahead
   Put gas in your car the day or night before. Try to sleep well the week before the exam. On the day of the exam, be sure to set a reliable alarm (alarms if you hit snooze) and get to bed on time that night. Plan to arrive early to the testing center. If you have not been to the testing center before, consider driving there a few days ahead of time so you know where you need to go.
6. Be prepared
   Be sure to read the NCLEX candidate rules regarding personal belongings, breaks, test administration and confidentiality before the day of the exam. Take the morning of the exam to calm your mind. Focus on something that helps you stay relaxed – cook a nice breakfast, listen to music, go on a run; whatever works for you. Dress comfortably for the exam. Dress in layers in case you tend to get cold. Don’t wear jingly jewelry, as it can be distracting. Make sure you have eaten and bring some snacks and a water bottle for on the way. Expect to leave your bag and electronics in your car. Bring an acceptable form of ID, such as a driver’s license, as well as any necessary documents for testing.
7. Don’t add context to the questions
   If you have previous experiences in health care, do not assume that the experiences apply to the NCLEX. It is important to answer NCLEX questions as the reference books would indicate. Do not add to the question by pulling in experiences from past work or clinical scenarios.
8. Keep calm
   Test anxiety is a real thing. Find a way to remind yourself to stay calm and practice these techniques, even during your study time. Remember to breathe and remain calm in between and during questions.
9. Pace yourself
   Consider pacing yourself when answering questions. You will have six hours total for the exam, including an exam tutorial, two pre-programmed breaks and any unscheduled breaks you may take. If you do not know a question, make your best guess and move on. Do not dwell on questions that you are not able to answer. By dwelling on those questions, you can create more anxiety for yourself going forward.
10. Believe in yourself
    An important key to success is to believe in yourself. Tell yourself you will pass. You deserve to pass. You have already proven your potential by graduating nursing school. Create self-affirmation notes and post them in places you will see the morning of the exam (i.e. bathroom mirror, car, etc.). Remind yourself you can do this. This is the final step on your journey to being a registered nurse. Congratulations!

Reference: National Council of State Boards of Nursing at www.ncsbn.org/index.htm .

Looking for your first nursing job can be both exciting and stressful. Below are a few tips to help make the search easier.

1. Think about where you want to be.
   Do you want to be in a large metropolitan city or a smaller, rural town? Do you want to be near or far from home? Responses to these questions will help narrow your search. Different places will provide you with different opportunities. It’s also important to think about whether or not a community supports your interests outside of work. Taking care of yourself is crucial to maintaining a healthy life balance. Liking where you live will support your career success.
2. Think about which health care setting you like best.
   Would you be happiest working in an acute care hospital, clinic or long-term care facility? You will likely have an idea of what you prefer from nursing school and clinical experiences. A rural health care site can give you the opportunity to practice a wider range of skills, while a hospital can help you specialize and care for complex patient populations.
3. Look for growth opportunities.
   Health care organizations can offer a variety of professional opportunities for nurses, so it’s smart to do some research before you apply. You can check whether organizations have achieved Magnet® recognition as part of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program. These organizations are known for investing in certification support, offering scheduling options, providing research opportunities, promoting self-care practices and giving nurses opportunities to drive change. During an interview, ask about initial training and ongoing nursing support. See if there are opportunities for new graduates to be hired into specialty areas like neonatal intensive care or the emergency department. Ask if there will be resources available to support your professional goals, such as loan forgiveness, mentoring, tuition support, educational leave (for degrees or specialty certifications), involvement in national nursing organizations and advancement opportunities.
4. Benefits
   Benefits are often the deciding factor when you’re choosing a job. Your hourly pay is only the beginning of how your employer can support you, so benefits are a crucial factor. Because of the nature of your work scheduling, you’ll want to know about shift, weekend and holiday pay incentives. Other valuable benefits can include uniform stipends, special event discounts or perk programs with merchants. If you’re interested, you can ask about reward and recognition programs that recognize employees on a regular basis. If you’re a veteran, special programs may be available to offer you additional perks or support. Insurance is another part of your benefits package. Coverage will include basic health care, but it could also extend to dental, vision, long and short-term disability and more. You will also be enrolled in a retirement plan that you’ll want to be informed about, especially in regards to any matching contributions from your employer. Take advantage of these benefits right away so you can set yourself up early for success in retirement.

Be concise and organized

Be sure to make education, graduation date, and contact information simple to find and easy to view. Strive to keep your resume short and concise. Instead of deleting important information, craft it into bullet points or shortened summarized phrases. This will give you talking points and an opportunity to explain further in the interview.

Past experience matters

This may be your first registered nurse position, but don’t leave out previous experience altogether. Avoid filling your resume with lines of only clinical rotation experience. Previous experience, volunteer time, and campus involvement may not be direct health care experience but it is still very important. These experiences can display customer service, work ethic, responsibility and trust, which are all highly desired traits in a registered nurse.

Tailor to fit the company

Take a few extra minutes to tailor each application you submit. Tailor your cover letter and resume to include relatable information. First: get creative and incorporate company-specific information into your resume and cover letter. Next: review the job specifics with your materials, making sure you haven’t left any of your qualifications out that can relate to the position.

Choose Your Reference

Ask a direct supervisor, professional mentor, a recent employer, or an academic instructor who can provide relevant information regarding the current stage of your career or education.

Find someone who:

• Will help others get to know you
• Can attest to your abilities, qualifications, work experience, job qualifications, and skills
• Is one of your first academic degree connections
• Speaks highly of you and your character

Be Respectful and Professional

Ways to frame your request include, "Do you think you know my work well enough to provide me with a reference?" or "Do you feel comfortable giving me a reference?”  These suggestions provide those whom you ask an option to say yes or no.

Give plenty of notice for completion of the reference.

Know your references’ position titles and contact information, and ask how they like to be contacted.

Create a Reference List

Print the list to bring with you to interviews and to send to employers who specifically request references with your initial job application materials.

Employers most often expect a list of three references, so have at least three or four contacts ready to provide. The extra one is handy just in case the prospective employer is unable to reach the original names provided.

Proofread and Double Check:

• Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct
• Contact information is up to date

Prepare yourself

View the company website and familiarize yourself with their mission, values and initiatives. Review the position posting and prepare questions you want to ask during the interview. You’re not expected to know it all, but taking the time to learn a little bit about the company and having questions to ask shows you’re interested in the company and eager to learn more!

Bring an open mind

You may know exactly what specialty area you’re interested in, but come with an open mind to learn more. Applying to multiple units gives you potential for a variety of interviews and offers. Learning more about each department and the specific skills they require will help you make a well-educated decision on where you want to be within the hospital.

Situational question readiness

“Describe a time when you made an error and what you did to overcome it.” These types of situational questions can catch even the most experienced interviewee off guard. You can prepare for these types of questions with the STAR model. The star acronym stands for situation, task, action, and result which are the steps you should take when answering a behavioral based interview question.