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“The externship experience is the reason why I have my job today!”

For nursing students, UVA Health University Medical Center Nurse Extern Program* is a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience contributing to patient care. Externs follow preceptors’ schedules, strengthen clinical and professional skills, and receive evidence-based education from clinical nurse specialists while getting to know the teams and units where they may begin their careers.

Supporting our strategic plan initiative of Best Place to Work, the program also is building a strong pipeline of new graduate nurses for UVA Health. Program Lead Susan Prather, MSN, RN, says 95 students participated in 2025. Of the 68 externs who applied for Clinician 1 positions, 57 accepted roles at UVA Health. The 2026 cohort included 83 externs, with hiring outcomes still in progress.

'I’ve Never Felt like I'm Alone in Anything!'

Tiffany McCune, RN, first learned about University Medical Center's Nurse Extern Program at a career fair at the University of Lynchburg. She knew she wanted more hands-on experience between her junior and senior years, so she picked up information at the UVA Health table and applied. She began the externship in May 2025 on 3 West, a general medicine unit at University Medical Center that cares for adult patients with a broad range of acute medical needs, from heart failure to pancreatitis. McCune says that variety gave her the opportunity to use many of the skills she learned in nursing school. 

Over the summer, McCune followed the schedule of a registered nurse and worked many night shifts. She performed patient care technician (PCT) responsibilities while also observing the nursing role, completing assessments and learning to document them. The extended time on the unit helped her manage her time and gave her a view of nursing that was difficult to gain through shorter clinical rotations. “In nursing school clinicals, it was really hard to see the full picture of a 12-hour shift,” McCune says. “I feel like that summer really, really helped prepare me for life after college.”  

McCune returned to University Medical Center for her senior practicum and applied for a Clinician 1 position months before graduation. In February, she received an offer to join 3 West after graduating in May 2026. She started in August and is now completing the Tiered Skills Acquisition Model (TSAM) orientation, which allows new nurses to progress as they demonstrate specific competencies.

McCune’s interest in health was shaped partly by personal loss: skin cancer runs in her family, and her uncle died of melanoma. Her mother’s emphasis on regular dermatology visits made McCune curious about what she could do to help others. Now, as the first nurse in her immediate family, she has found a supportive team at University Medical Center. “I’ve learned so much and the nurses on my unit are amazing and so encouraging. I’ve never felt like I'm alone in anything!” she says. “Everybody is here to build you up and teach you why. It’s really a good environment to learn more.”

'It’s So Exciting to Be on the Other Side of It Now!'

Gabi Walicek, RN, also completed her externship last summer, joining 5 Central while she was a nursing student at James Madison University (JMU). The unit cares for post-surgical patients, including gastroenterology, urology, and oncology patients. Its range of specialties allowed Walicek to develop varied skills and learn from nurses who welcomed her questions.

By the time she returned to JMU for her senior year, Walicek knew she wanted to come back. She applied for a Clinician 1 position in October and received an offer in January, several months before graduating in May 2026. After passing NCLEX, she started on 5 Central in August.

“The externship experience is the reason why I have my job today!” Walicek says. The summer gave her an opportunity to build relationships with the unit’s nurses and managers and to show them how she worked. When she returned as a new nurse, she found familiar faces ready to welcome her back.

“It’s been a lot less overwhelming,” she says. “Everyone who remembers me is so excited to have me back, and it just felt really welcoming. It was super cool to have that experience as a student and then come back as a Clin 1.”

Like McCune, Walicek is completing the TSAM orientation. She works with a different preceptor during each set of skill tiers, giving her exposure to several teaching styles and approaches to nursing care. Because the first tiers covered work she had already practiced as an extern, she moved through them quickly and could focus sooner on skills specific to 5 Central. “All these preceptors are really amazing! They’re very good at teaching,” Walicek says. “I feel very supported by the staff and my managers.”

Walicek has wanted to work in healthcare for as long as she can remember and chose nursing after attending a summer camp early in high school. Because no one in her family works in healthcare, she charted that path for herself. She admits she wondered whether the reality of the job would match the goal she had pursued for years, but her first weeks have reassured her she made the right choice. “It’s so exciting to be on the other side of it now,” she says. “I really do love it!”

Building Confidence and Strengthening UVA Health’s Nursing Workforce

McCune and Walicek are two of the many new grad nurses from across the country who have benefited from UVA Health University Medical Center Nurse Extern Program. On an anonymous, end-of-summer survey sent by Prather, respondents gave the program an overall rating of 4.83 out of 5. They rated its value in developing communication with patients and families at 4.87 and building confidence in prioritizing patient care at 4.85. Preceptors also received an average rating of 4.83 for being approachable and supportive and for providing effective teaching and guidance.

The program begins recruiting again in November 2026 for its summer 2027 cohort, offering the next group of nursing students a chance to build their skills, explore nursing, and take an early step in their careers. “The Workforce Initiatives Team is working with Nursing Professional Development Services [NPDS] to revise the program this fall to make it even stronger!” says Prather.

For more information, check out the flyer and feel free to download and share to help spread the word. (Please note, the QR code on the flyer will be active on Nov. 1, 2026.*)