The types of internships available in nursing range from programs designed to give nursing students in specific medical areas and programs designed to assist them in the development of new skills. Whether you hope to work with children, the elderly or those with mental health problems, an internship can help you develop the key skills that employers look for and show that you’re serious about your future future. The career development office at your campus will have more information about applying for these programs.
Bilingual Internships
Are you fluent in English and Spanish or a second language? You might consider applying for bilingual internships. As the number of Spanish speakers rises in the United States, hospitals and medical facilities will have a high need for nurses capable of conversing with those patients. A bilingual internship will actually let you work with other nurses and patients in the field, and you’ll have the chance to use your language skills. You may also find programs designed to help you teach others the importance of learning language skills to communicate effectively with patients. According to Forbes, there is a 70 percent chance that an internship may turn into a full time job, and being bilingual can increase that percentage even higher.
Research Programs
Some of the types of internships available in nursing involve a research component. Have you ever wanted to get some hands on experience and see what goes on in a research laboratory? Now is your chance. A research internship lets you work with doctors investigating the importance of different medications in the treatment of certain health conditions and how different actions and treatments can impact patients. You’ll generally spend some time working with those patients, but you’ll spend more of your internship doing research for the doctors working in the clinical studies and writing up their findings.
Community Health Internships
Community health workers have an important job. Those working in this field stay informed about particular health conditions and diseases that may impact a community. They also work directly with patients after a doctor gives his or her diagnosis, and they help patients learn more about these conditions. Doing a community health internship is an easy way to see if you can handle working in a community health center. These centers typically cater to those who do not have health insurance, those who are at risk of developing certain medical conditions and those who live in areas where there are few healthcare options.
Administrative Positions
The types of internships available in nursing also include administrative positions. A nursing administrator is someone who handles the duties of running a nursing department or a medical facility. They ensure that the facility has enough workers to keep up with the current demand, order new medical supplies and office supplies when needed and act as a liaison between the doctors and nurses working in that facility and the board of directors or any other governing body. Administrators usually need a graduate degree, but you can learn more about this job field and get some experience as an undergraduate.
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Nursing is one of the most in demand professions in the world, but you can increase the need for people with your specific skill set when you complete an internship. The types of internships available in nursing today include bilingual, administrative, community health and research internships.