Methodist Healthcare Internship Programs are for new graduate nurses (GN) who are interested in working in a specialty clinical setting. These nursing environments include critical care, newborn intensive care, pediatrics, pediatric intensive care, and perioperative nursing care. The Perioperative Internship Program is also available to current RNs and GNs.

The length of each internship program varies from 12–20 weeks of intensive training. The training is focused on application of nursing knowledge and skills needed for fluency in nursing practice in the respective settings. The programs include clinical practicum with an assigned qualified preceptor and systematic instruction. Program content includes development of critical-care skills sets, end-of-life issues, crisis intervention, ethical issues, pre-code management, quality-of-life issues, conflict resolution, and professional development. Interns are paid full wages while they learn. In addition, each intern will attend a formal nursing board review course as preparation for successful completion of the board licensing examination.

The Programs

• Critical Care Nursing
• Intermediate/Progressive Care Nursing
• Newborn Intensive Care Nursing
• Pediatric Nursing
• Pediatric Intensive Care Nursing
• Perioperative Nursing

Critical Care Nursing

The program provides specialty knowledge and clinical skills to function independently in an entry-level critical-care nursing position.

Program Description: The intern is assigned to work in the unit of hire under the guidance of a qualified nurse preceptor, clinical educator, and the program coordinator. The majority of the course content is focused on the application of learned theory and transitioning into the novice intensive care nurse.

• Focused clinical experiences in the unit of hire and specialty care areas as determined by the clinical learning plan
• Critical Care Nursing Units include Medical, Surgical, Cardiac, Transplant, and Neurosciences Intensive Care Units

Intermediate and Progressive Care Nursing

The program focuses on attainment of cardiovascular nursing knowledge and skill, while providing opportunities for fluency in the application of those skills in the intermediate care area.

Program Description: The internship focuses on critical thinking and acute-care skill set development under the guidance of qualified nurse preceptors, a clinical educator, and the program coordinator. Patient care services may include cardiovascular, post-heart transplant, medical, and surgical.

Newborn Intensive Care Nursing

The Newborn Intensive Care Internship Program provides specialty knowledge and clinical skills required to function independently in an entry-level newborn intensive care unit nursing position.

Program Description: Content includes working with newborns experiencing congenital heart disease, neurologic and renal diseases, respiratory disorders, surgical interventions, and infectious-disease processes. Learning experiences include a focused clinical practicum that progresses from the stable, level-II patient population to the more critical level-III population. The clinical experiences are planned under the guidance of qualified nurse preceptors, clinical educators, and the internship program coordinator.

Pediatric Nursing

An in-depth program focusing on neurology, oncology, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and cardiac conditions in the pediatric patient.

Program Description: Content is based on family-centered nursing care principles. Clinical learning experiences are guided by qualified nurse preceptors, clinical educators, and the internship program coordinator.

• Focused clinical experiences such as operating room, GI lab, respiratory therapy, newborn intensive care unit, and post-anesthesia care unit
• Additional training upon permanent assignment to a specific unit
• Interns will spend time in each of the following areas: general pediatrics, surgical, oncology, and intermediate care

Pediatric Intensive Care Nursing

The program provides specialty knowledge and clinical skills required to function independently in an entry-level pediatric intensive care nursing position. The internship is based on the American Association of Critical Care Nurses’ curriculum.

Program Description: Clinical learning experiences are guided by qualified nurse preceptors, clinical educators, and the internship program coordinator. Interns are assigned to work in their unit of hire.

Perioperative nursing

An internship program based on the Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN) curriculum for GN/RN interns to gain knowledge and skills related to ten different perioperative specialties. Clinical learning experiences are guided by qualified nurse preceptors, clinical educators, and the internship program coordinator.

Phase I Program Description:

• Introduction to Perioperative Nursing
• Perioperative assessment
• Safety in the Surgical Suite
• Scrubbing and circulating
• Anesthesia
• Drugs and solutions
• Surgical instruments
• Electrosurgery
• Tourniquets and implants
• Endoscopic surgery
• Laser safety

Phase II is advanced preparation. Depending on permanent assignment, each intern will complete one of the following modules:

• Neurosurgery
• Pediatrics
• Cardiovascular-circulator and scrub roles
• Ear, nose, and throat
• Orthopedic