Offered at Duke University Hospital, Durham Regional Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital, the PNA Summer Externship is an exciting, 10-week program that provides nurses the opportunity spend a summer within one of America’s leading health care systems, developing the skills and experience that will prepare them for successful nursing careers. To learn more, choose a topic:
Program Overview
Program Objectives
Requirements
Getting Started
Forms
Program Overview
As a participant in the PNA Summer Externship program, you will work hands-on with our industry leading health care team, learning the organizational, clinical application and critical thinking skills needed to effectively care for the patient population in the area you select.
During the 10-week program, you will be paid to learn, while working a 36-40 week within a rotating schedule. You will also have the opportunity to benefit from:
• One-to-one experience with a dedicated RN preceptor
• An 8-hour shadowing experience within the clinical area of your choice
• Additional focused learning activities
As a PNA within Duke Medicine, your scope of practice will be that of a Nursing Care Assistant (NCA). Depending upon where you are within your nursing program, your will be assigned the position of PNA I or PNA II. The scope of practice of these positions is consistent with the Nursing Care Assistant (I or II) as defined by the NC Nurse Aide Registry for NCA I.
Program Objectives
Specific goals of the PNA Summer Externship program include:
- Assisting participants with their transition to active RN practice
- Increasing awareness for the nursing scope of practice
- Assisting with the development of critical thinking and professional communication skills
- Recruiting top quality nurses interested in providing optimal patient care within the Duke Medicine system
Requirements
To qualify for participation in the PNA Externship program, interested applicants must be able to provide the following documentation:
- Enrollment in a NLN-accredited nursing program
- A current BLS provider card from the American Heart Association Course C
- Listing with the NC Division of Health Service Regulation, if you will be a rising junior in nursing school at the start of the program
- Listing with the NC Division of Health Service Regulation and the Board of Nursing, if you will be a rising senior at the start of the program
- Two letters of recommendation from a nursing school instructor, one of which may be from an employer
- A completed program application, accompanied by the required 250-word essay and your list of clinical assignment preferences
- Copy of current resume
Getting Started
To be included in this program, you must first register with:
NCAI - The NC Division of Health Service Regulation
2709 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, N.C. 27699-2709
Phone Staff: Weekdays, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., 919-855-3969
Fax: (919) 733-9764
If you are to practice as a PNA II, you must also register with:
The NC Board of Nursing for CNA II
P.O. Box 2129
Raleigh, NC 27602
(919) 782-7499
www.NCBON.com
Forms
Professional Nursing Assistant (PNA)
PNA Experience Within Our Facilities
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