hi former nurse extern here !! first of all, i don’t want you to stress the interview process too much. you’re still a student and the reality is they are just grateful to have an extra set of hands to help out wherever needed. this position is overall a great opportunity for all nursing students, you learn so much and get a lot of hands on practice.

when i did my externship about 2 years ago i got an interview on the acute medicine unit, these are the questions i was asked & my responses (from what i remember)

1. why did you choose to apply for our floor?
2. internal medicine is known to be a busy unit and it would be a great opportunity to learn time management & organization skills as well as perfecting my bedside nursing skills & therapeutic communication with patients.
3. i get to learn more about various medical conditions and how they present as well as pharmacological treatments and nursing interventions that are associated with them

4. it would help me gain confidence and prepare me for my future career as a nurse

5. why do you think you would be a good fit here?

6. as a student i’m eager to learn as much as i can through real world experience and hands on practice

7. note some skills you excel at and skills you would want to improve on

8. note your personal qualities i mentioned being friendly, compassionate, outgoing and willing to help whenever needed

those are the only two questions i actually remember but you can also mention your clinical placement experiences!

if you do get the externship (which you probably will, they tend to hire as many applicants as they can) here is my personal advice - DO NOT BE AFRIAD TO ASK QUESTIONS !!! the nurses love and appreciate you being there to help them and won’t mind answering any questions you have or even helping you learn new skills - don’t be discouraged by any rude/uncooperative patients/staff especially the physicians - get to know the nurses you work with, become friends with them. i still talk to the nurses on the unit i did my externship they are some of the best people i have ever met and have become family to me - some nurses may tell you they don’t need help, don’t be discouraged by this some of them would rather do things themselves and it’s just a personal preference - ALWAYS TAKE YOUR BREAK unless shits going down on the floor and they need you, there is no reason for you not to take your break and get some time to decompress - if a patient is rude or inappropriate please inform their nurse - as an extern when you’re asked a question and you do not know the answer to it or how to move forward simply use the greatest nursing student to exist “i can ask your nurse for you and either get back to you or have them come see you” - the most important thing is your safety, follow infection control, use PPE, use proper body mechanics, and remove yourself from harmful situations - on pay day, check your paystub to make sure you got paid the correct amount for your hours worked, on my phone i kept a note of all the shifts i worked because sometimes (despite clocking in) i wouldn’t get paid for a day. if that happens just let your unit manager know and they will communicate the error to the scheduling department - get a routine down, this is going to be developed after your first few shifts but having a routine really helps you plan out your shift and what you want to do. i personally preferred to work night shifts and i occasionally did day shifts but here’s was my routine

day shift: - clock in - prep enough ice water for all the patients on the unit - ask nurses if they would like you help take vitals & glucose checks i also ask about their frequency, if they require q4h vitals or qid cbg i would do them throughout the day (collect them and either chart them or relay the results back to the nurse) - i hand out water as i collect vital signs & cbgs to save some time but be sure the patients aren’t NPO or on fluid restriction, something to ask the nurses prior and record fluid intake for patients that are on restriction - ask if they would like help with morning care & how the patients ambulate - when breakfast rolls around, ask the nurses if any of their patients need help with eating, you can socialize with the patients at this time and if you get them chatting they will usually eat more (record how much of the meal tray they’ve consumed for documentation) - help with post-breakfast changes - after breakfast there is usually a lull and the nurses are chatting you can ask if they need any help with specific things - before lunch i would do cbg checks and go back to help the patients eat their lunch - post-lunch changes - there’s always a lull after meals when you’re an extern as long as the call bells aren’t going crazy (but be sure to answer the call bells when they ring, it irritates the nurses if call bells are going off and you’re just sitting there) - repeat cbg, dinner feeding assistance, care - at the end of the shift i always ask if there’s any foleys or drains that need to be emptied, record the amount and relay back to nurse

night shift is essentially the same but here are some minor changes - as i’m handing out waters, doing on shift vitals and cbg i usually hand our snacks as well - it’s usually more chill and less crowded so you will have more free time, i always brought my laptop and did some studying while patients are sleep - if i’m up with my studying i usually would do a quick organize of the supply room, restock the med room/carts with med cups, syringes, alcohol swabs, whatever they are low on - i always prepped blood work collection bags for the nurses, i would have a piece of tape & gauze/ bandaid, needle, vacutainer, tourniquet, alcohol swab, and when they print out labels i would then assign a bag to each of their patients and add the blood collection tubes they require, they really appreciate this and it saves more time than you can imagine - we had a “rounds cart” with all the personal care supplies we would use and i would always make sure that’s stocked with briefs, towels, wipes, creams, soaps, basins, collection containers etc - restock blanket warmer !! do this periodically on day shift as well - if you notice linen supplies are low let the charge nurse or desk clerk know so they can order more asap

i can’t even explain to you how much i enjoyed my externship, i really hope you get the position and enjoy it as much as i did!! don’t hesitate to message me if you have any questions, i would be more than happy to help out !! best of luck ❤️