College of Nursing Program Information

The College of Nursing at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and BJC collaborate to offer a Summer Nurse Externship Program (NEP) for qualified nursing students. Nurse externs selected for this program will work 32 - 36 hours per week with an assigned nurse mentor at a BJC HealthCare hospital from May 20 through July 27, 2019.  Accepted Nurse Externs will receive a stipend of $4,400 over the 10 week period. Externs must register for the three-credit hour corresponding seminar course facilitated by UMSL College of Nursing.  The seminar will be held each week of the externship on Mondays from     0800 – 1200 beginning Monday, May 13, 2019.  Course activities include journal reflections, case studies and presentations on professional nursing topics. Students are responsible for the tuition cost of the course.

Under the guidance of UMSL College of Nursing faculty members and BJC HealthCare registered nurse mentors, nurse externs will have the opportunity to:

1. Provide direct patient care and perform clinical nursing skills
2. Increase level of clinical competence and clinical judgment by integrating nursing theory and practice
3. Refine communication skills with patients, families and other health care providers
4. Enhance skills in the areas of critical reasoning, decision-making, delegation, priority setting, organization, and teamwork through dialogue with mentors, faculty, other members of the health care team, and educational experiences jointly planned by the educational and clinical partners
5. Develop professional relationships with unit staff
6. Demonstrate increased professional accountability
7. Assume responsibility to seek potential learning experiences
8. Explore, as a pre-professional, the scope of professional nursing practice

Externs will be mentored by experienced nurses and work in hospitals where the newest medical advances are coupled with excellent nursing care. The weekly seminar sessions are facilitated by UMSL College of Nursing faculty and clinical experts from the participating hospitals and include topics relevant to current practice. Time is also allotted for externs to debrief and share weekly experiences.

The participating BJC HealthCare hospitals are widely recognized and respected and include Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, Progress West Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

To be eligible for consideration for the NEP, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Enrolled in an approved BSN program (not required to be an UMSL student)
2. Completion of two semesters of clinical experience prior to the start of the externship experience (May 2019)
3. Senior status in current nursing program
4. Verification of good academic standing in current nursing program
5. Attainment of a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or greater on a 4.0 scale (verified by unofficial transcript)
6. Expected graduation from approved BSN program by May 2020
7. Completion of "Application for Nurse Externship Program" received by January 28, 2019

If you meet the above criteria, we invite you to complete the application and submit the required documents! Two (2) letters of recommendation are required (see specific form). Recommendations may be submitted by faculty and/or clinical supervisors (if you are employed in the clinical setting). An essay of interest is also required (note specific essay guidelines).

If accepted into the UMSL/BJC NEP, you will be required to submit verification of current CPR training, TB testing, and immunizations, a criminal background check and drug screening. Submission of these verification documents will be at the student’s expense.

Externs must arrange their own housing.  Housing is available in Oak Hall, a dormitory on the UMSL campus.  Additional information is available in the Extern Housing section. 

Thank you for expressing interest in this career-enhancing opportunity. The nurse externship program has been very successful since implementation and we anticipate another exciting summer! Previous externs comment repeatedly that so much is learned and discovered about “real nursing” in the ten weeks of the externship and are thrilled to have had the opportunity to work in hospitals that lead the nation in healthcare (see testimonials). All decisions for selection of externs will be made by late February 2019.  All applicants will be notified by email.

Kind regards,

Tonya Haynes, DNP, RN
Assistant Teaching Professor
Coordinator - UMSL / BJC Nurse Externship Program
University of Missouri - St. Louis College of Nursing
Seton Hall 209
314.516.4842 (office)
haynesto@umsl.edu