RN Extern Program Accepting Applications

The Extern Program at Lake Charles Memorial Health System is for senior nursing students currently enrolled in a registered nurse degree program. It gives the student a chance to prepare themselves for a smoother entry into the professional hospital environment. Under the supervision of experienced RNs, Externs are allowed to perform certain nursing skills (after being trained and educated on those skills). Externs rotate to different departments every month, giving them the opportunity to explore a variety of nursing fields to identify the best career fit for them. As the only full service community hospital in Southwest Louisiana, Memorial offers many different nursing options for the Extern to choose from when they graduate.

Senior nursing students should look at the Extern Program as an ongoing interview process. It gives them a chance to get to know the staff and managers on the different nursing units, to get more clinical experience in a hospital setting, to make their transition from student nurse to RN Applicant as smooth as possible and to acclimate to our hospital culture.

Externs receive a stipend every two weeks. Senior nursing students are hired one or two semesters before graduation. For Externs hired for a full year before graduation, they are required to work 300 hours within that year. Every other week, they get a check for $144 whether or not they worked any hours that pay period. The checks will equal up to $3600 in that year. For the Externs only working half the year before graduation, they are required to work 150 hours. They get a check for $150 every pay period which equals to $1800. After graduation, the RN Applicant is required to work for Memorial full-time for at least one year after passing boards.

Interested applicants can apply in March and October of every year on our LCMH website. Applications can be completed online at www.lcmh.com. Questions can be emailed to Nikki Galloway ngalloway@lcmh.com or Kristy Denison kdenison@lcmh.com. Lake Charles Memorial's
Senior Student Extern Program is accepting applications starting in MARCH for students graduating in December 2017 and May 2018. Applications due by April 11, 2017.