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UVA Health is recruiting nursing students for its new nurse externship program at its community hospitals and clinics throughout the UVA Community Health arm of the organization. Beginning in June 2025, the program aims to nurture the next generation of nurses in a community medicine setting.

Nursing students entering their final year of nursing school will benefit from eight weeks of supervised, on-the-job educational opportunities and hands-on training. UVA Health nursing teams will benefit from the additional support. This is a full-time, supervised, paid externship — allowing students to partner with preceptors and follow their schedules.

“Nurse internships are not new. Many hospitals have had them, but we’re seeing fewer due to COVID-19," says Michelle Strider, RN, MBA, CPHQ, Chief Nursing Officer, UVA Health community medical centers and clinics in Northern Virginia and Culpeper. 

The program aligns with several UVA Health strategic plan initiatives, starting with cultivating healthy communities and belonging for all — and strengthening our foundation. By vetting nursing students, we are ensuring we offer a strong foundation for patients across the community. 

'Win-Win'

“The nursing externship program shows our commitment to nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals for long-term success. It is s a win-win for nurses who get a chance to have real on-the-job training and learn the culture of UVA Community Health," says Lisa Case, DNP, RN, Assistant Chief Nursing Officer, UVA Health Haymarket Medical Center. "Students who successfully complete the externship have the potential for an automatic offer of employment with the UVA Community Health part of our organization upon graduation."

The program also will help nursing students to figure out what area of nursing they’d like to focus on. Strider participated in an externship when she was a nursing student. “I was in a critical care program that allowed me to try various critical care departments and helped me settle on what I liked doing best.” 

“Any extra bedside experience that a student can partake in is a benefit to their learning," explains Case. "Once the comfort of being at the bedside is mastered, it allows the student to focus on further developing their practice and critical thinking skills."

Good Fit

Case and Ada Russell, Talent Acquisition Specialist for the community medical centers, attended a job fair at James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg, Virginia (pictured), and talked with nursing students. Case and Russell plan to attend more college fairs.  

“We've gone to JMU for three years, and nursing students have asked about a program like this. So they were very excited to learn we're launching the program,” says Case, who's had experience with nurse externs from a previous job. “This gives both the student and the organization an opportunity to work together to see if it is a good fit for both."

What's Next?

Applications open December 2024. Externs will be selected and notified in February 2025. The externship will begin in June 2025.  

If you know of a nursing student who might be interested, reach out to Lisa Case at lisa.case@uvahealth.org. Learn more.