It’s summer internship time for 29 NIU School of Nursing students.
While all nursing students at NIU get over 500 hours of clinical experience, those that participate in the summer internship program get more extensive and hands-on experience while assigned to a hospital department for the four week program. It’s also a paid internship which allows students who would typically have to work over the summer to do so and gain nursing experience as well.
This summer marks the eleventh year of the NIU School of Nursing summer internship program. This NIU collaborated with Advocate Sherman Hospital, AMITA Health St. Alexius Medical Center, AMITA Health Alexian Brothers Medical Center, and Northwestern Medicine at Kishwaukee Hospital to provide students an opportunity to work and learn alongside nursing staff at the partner hospital sites. The program is funded jointly through an Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) grant, the hospital partners and NIU.
NIU nursing instructor Amy Daniel said: “The students always enjoy the internship experience and come away with both experience and a better understanding of the nursing field in general, which will help them make career decisions after graduation.”
In past years, some of the interns have found a position at the hospital where they interned. In general, NIU nursing students have no problem finding work after graduation – 91 percent are employed within 6 months of graduation.
