Why You Should Consider Finding a Nursing Internship & Mentorship

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As we move deeper into the future, healthcare roles continue to gain greater and greater importance. This largely has to do with a growing demand for healthcare professionals as needs in medical institutions continue to grow. As such, there’s never been a better time to start pursuing a career as a nurse.

However, the path to becoming a nurse can sometimes be overwhelming as it is a broad field with a seemingly endless number of specialties one can pursue. Thankfully, there is a keyway to dodge the overwhelm and uncertainty that comes with the process of pursuing a career as a nurse. Namely, stepping into an internship and finding guidance from a mentor can have an incredibly beneficial impact on your path to becoming a nurse.

Understanding the benefits of these resources can give you a deeper understanding of the paths you can pursue to become a nurse and the help that is available to you during the process.

Here is why you should consider finding a nursing internship and mentor.

What is a Nursing Internship?

Before seriously thinking about enrolling in a nursing internship, it’s important to understand what it actually is. In essence, it is an internship role that allows you to hone your nursing skills in the field and gain assistance from experienced nurses.

Nursing internships give nursing students and recent graduates the opportunity to shadow nurses as they go about performing their duties. This gives interns a deeper insight into the field of nursing and what it actually looks like to work as a nurse.

Some common duties that you might perform as a nursing intern include cleaning patients, taking vitals, and recording various patient information. These experiences can imbue you with confidence in your nursing abilities prior to actually stepping into a professional role.

Though many nursing programs require students to engage in experiences similar to internships, they can differ in keyways. These experiences are typically referred to as practicums, and typically involve nursing students performing their duties under the supervision of nurse educators. These are almost always unpaid and a required part of nursing programs.

In contrast to practicums, nursing internships typically offer interns a small wage during their experience. In addition, these internships are typically unconnected to nursing programs and don’t involve educational staff overseeing duties. This being the case, nursing internships are a fantastic way for nursing students to simulate the experience of being a nurse while also gaining more comfort working autonomously without the supervision of educators.

The Opportunity for Mentorship in Nursing Internships

For nursing students, recent graduates, and aspiring nurses, finding a nurse mentor can be invaluable. This is because these professionals can offer sage advice, meaningful guidance, and significant support during your pursuit of stepping into a nursing career.

In nursing internships, interns have a special opportunity to connect with experienced nurses that can help them grow in keyways. Oftentimes, interns engaging in nurse internships will be paired with an experienced nurse to shadow during their experience.

During these internships, nursing interns have an opportunity to forge deep and lasting connections with the experienced nurses around them. These relationships can also eventually blossom into meaningful mentor/mentee connections that can last years.

For aspiring nurses unsure of which specialty they want to pursue, finding experienced mentors is a great way to explore various options. This is because these mentors can share their experiences and give you a clear understanding of the benefits and cons of certain specialties and what they entail.

How to Find Nursing Internships and Mentorships

Though you may be convinced that you’d like to enroll in a nursing internship or find a mentor, you may not know where to start looking. Thankfully, the process of finding the right internship and mentor becomes much easier when you have some guidance around the process.

Here is how to find a nursing internship and mentorship:

1. Start with School Resources

Though nursing internships aren’t typically run by nursing education institutions themselves, many nursing programs have connections to various internship programs. This being the case, checking with your nursing program’s office will likely provide you with a number of nursing internship resources that can help you find an internship in your local area.

2. Explore Job Fairs

Believe it or not, job fairs can be a wonderful place to find a nursing internship that meets your needs. At these events, you’ll be able to learn about different nursing internships and what they offer with the convenience of being in one place.

3. Networking

Like any other industry, networking can play a key role in the career trajectory of healthcare professionals. The wider your network of professional nurses and other healthcare professionals, the more likely you’ll know someone with a connection to a nursing internship that’s perfect for you. Networking is also a great opportunity to find the right mentor for you.

4. Join PushFar

PushFar is a completely free open-network, where mentors and mentees can connect from all over the world. With over 100,000 members on the platform, there's a mentor for everyone. Because you know the professionals on PushFar are there to help, it reduces the nervous feeling of asking someone if they want to be your mentor. To learn more or sign up, click here.

Internships and Mentorships Can Help You Grow Professionally

Stepping into a nursing internship and connecting with a dedicated mentor can be extremely beneficial to your pursuit of becoming a professional nurse. These processes will both allow you to hone your nursing skills and find support throughout the process. So, if you’re truly intent on developing into a skilled professional nurse, finding an internship and mentor can help you do so.

This article was guest written by Andrew Deen.