Summer Internships

The Summer Intern Program at Gillette Children’s offers a unique experience for students entering their final year of their nursing studies. Participants integrate nursing theory and enhance their decision-making skills while working alongside one of our exceptional registered nurses in a hospital that is recognized for excellence in providing specialized, coordinated care for individuals who have complex, rare, or traumatic conditions starting in childhood.

Internships are available in the following areas:

• Adult Unit
• Neurosciences Unit
• Orthopedic/Surgical Unit
• Perianesthesia/Surgical Service
• PICU
• Rehabilitation Unit

The program begins on Monday, June 3rd, 2024. Orientation acclimates participants to Gillette and to their individual units.  It includes a variety of hands-on training opportunities in addition to structured classroom time. Participants learn about our organization, essential policies and procedures, pain management techniques, safety guidelines and electronic medical records. The last day of the Summer Intern program is Friday, August 8th, 2024.

Summer Interns work 32 to 40 hours per week. This is a paid internship and Summer Interns are eligible to receive additional pay for evening, night, and weekend shifts. They are not eligible for benefits. Summer Interns may be expected to rotate shifts.  

Summer Interns are expected to work weekends and holidays as their schedule requires.

Summer Interns will submit a self-evaluation and a brief essay (150 words or fewer) to the Education and Professional Development Specialist at the end of the internship. The essay should be a reflective journal describing a nurse role model and/or a high point of their internship that will affect their future nursing practice. Preceptors will provide feedback on the Summer Intern’s performance.  

Participants must:

• Be entering their final year of an ADN, BSN or Master’s RN program and have no previous professional RN experience.
• Have current certification in BLS for Healthcare Providers through the American Heart Association.
• Submit their resume, copy of unofficial college transcripts and recommendation letters from two nursing faculty members (one must be from a clinical instructor).  If currently employed in a direct patient care job, one recommendation letter could be from a registered nurse familiar with the applicant’s clinical skills.
• Be able to attend and fully participate the entire length of the internship starting Monday June 6th through Friday August 12th.
• Provide a list of personal goals for your intern experience on the first day of the program.

Gillette summer interns will be able to develop such skills as:

• Assisting with the collection and reporting of data (e.g., vital signs, vascular and neurological checks, and responses to pain management medications/side effects).
• Participate in therapeutic communication.
• Contribute to patients’ nursing care plans.
• Provide patient care based on validated skills:
  • Oral, nasal, and tracheal suctioning
  • Intermittent and indwelling catheterization
  • Use of a bladder scan
  • Enteral feedings and care of feeding tubes
  • Tracheostomy cares
  • Application and cares of adaptive equipment devices
  • Cast cares
  • Nursing Assistant tasks, such as ADLs and feeding
  • Turning/positioning and ambulation

A registered nurse must supervise, document and co-sign for any care a Summer Intern provides to a patient.

Internships will be posted on our website starting on December 1st through the end of day December 18th.  Do not delay submitting your initial on-line application while awaiting transcripts or letters of recommendation as you can upload them to your application any time after applying.

There will be one Summer Intern posting on our job board to apply to. When filling out your application questions, it will allow you to select each department you are interested in (Neurosciences, Orthopedic/Surgical, Rehabilitation, PICU, Perianesthesia/Surgical Services). Please be sure to select all that are applicable for you. Here is a link to our job board where you will find the Summer Intern posting starting December 1st: http://gillette.mn/jobs. 

Interviews will be scheduled for the end of December into January and offers should be made in early February.  Due to the high volume of applications received, only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

Please contact Human Resources at hr@gillettechildrens.com with additional questions.

To learn more about working at Gillette Children's, please visit https://www.gillettechildrens.org/careers.

*Note: Candidates interested in summer research internships, please see the Summer Research Internship page for information on that program.