Student Nurse Extern Program - Summer 2026

The salary range for this position is $18.00 - $18.00 (Hourly Rate)

Placement within the salary range is dependent on several factors such as relevant work experience and internal equity. For positions represented by a labor union, placement within the salary range is guided by the rules outlined in the collective bargaining agreement.

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Please visit our Benefits section located at jobs.nm.org/benefits to learn more.

Northwestern Medicine is powered by a community of colleagues who are purpose-driven and committed to our mission to deliver world-class care. Here, you'll work alongside some of the best clinical talent in the nation leading the way in medical innovation and breakthrough research with Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

We recognize where you've been, and we support where you're headed. We celebrate diverse perspectives and experiences, which fuel our commitment to equity and culture of service.

Grow your career with comprehensive training and development opportunities, mentorship programs, educational support and student loan repayment.

Create the life you envision for yourself with flexible work options, a Reimbursable Well-Being Fund and a Total Rewards package that support your physical, mental, emotional, and financial well-being.

Make a difference through volunteer opportunities we offer in local communities and drive inclusive change through our workforce-led resource groups.

From discovery to delivery, come help us shape the future of medicine.

Description

For the Student Nurse Externship Program, we are seeking nursing students that have an expected graduation date of August 2027, December 2027 or Spring 2028.

Please note - If you have an expected graduation date in August 2026, December 2026 or Spring 2027, consider applying to our Student Nurse Internship instead.

The Student Nurse Extern reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

Northwestern Medicine's Nurse Externship Program allows nursing students the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of nursing work environments.

The Student Nurse Extern assists in the delivery of both direct and indirect nursing care as a Patient Care Technician (PCT) under the direction and supervision of a Registered Nurse within the scope of practice of unlicensed, assistive personnel and performs tasks for patients’ activities of daily living to promote comfort and safety, assists RN’s with the collection of patient data, and performs selected procedures.

Program Dates (mandatory minimum of a full-time 8-week commitment):

• Application Due Date: January 16, 2026
• Candidate Screening: January - March 2026
• Program Start Date: May 27, 2026
• Program End Date: July 21, 2026

Hours:

Your hours will be scheduled with your Patient Care Manager, which may include:

• Day or Night Shift
• Full time schedule - 8 or 12 hour shifts
• Some Weekend shifts
• No holidays or overtime

Additional Details:

Locations participating in the 2024 SNE program are as follows:

• Central DuPage Hospital (Winfield, IL)
• Delnor Hospital (Geneva, IL)
• Huntley Hospital (Huntley, IL)
• Kishwaukee Hospital (DeKalb, IL)
• Lake Forest Hospital (Lake Forest, IL)
• Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital (Wheaton, IL)
• McHenry Hospital (McHenry, IL)
• Palos Hospital (Palos Heights, IL)
• Valley West Hospital (Sandwich, IL)
• Woodstock Hospital (Woodstock, IL)

Tentative units participating in the 2026 SNI program are as follows; be sure to select your desired units in the application in order of preference. (We cannot guarantee a match, however, this is taken into consideration):

• Behavioral/Mental Health
• Cardiac
• Emergency Department
• Float Pool
• General Surgery
• ICU
• MedSurg
• Neuro
• NICU
• Observation
• Oncology
• Ortho
• Pediatrics (limited locations)           
• Perioperative Services (Operating Room, Pre/Post)
• Rehabilitation
• Telemetry
• Women’s Health (L&D, Mother/Baby, Postpartum)

Qualifications

Required:

• Nursing students from an accredited nursing school that includes minimally the successful completion of Fundamentals of Nursing Clinical with clinical rotation.
  • You must provide written documentation of successful completion OR the successful completion of an accredited Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program.
• Graduation date of August 2027, December 2027 or Spring 2028.
• Qualified candidates must have a valid American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare certification.
• Reliable, flexible and punctual with schedules

Required Documentation for Application Submission to be Uploaded:

• Resume

*Please note, to be considered for this role, you must submit all attachments at the time of your application submission.  When you apply, you may log back into your application to attach additional and/or optional attachments such as letters of recommendation, cover letters, etc. You can navigate to the upload section and press the "+" sign to submit these additional attachments, if desired.

For any questions or difficulties, please email careers@nm.org 

Equal Opportunity

Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.

Background Check

Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check.  Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Please visit our Benefits section to learn more.

Sign-on Bonus Eligibility: Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign on bonus. Exception: New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position at NM may be eligible depending upon the job family.