Photo caption: McMaster University student Giselle Wagner, a student who participated in the Hamilton Health Sciences' clinical extern program.
Giselle Wagner is one of nearly 1,500 health care students who have gained hands-on, real-world experience through Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS)’ clinical extern program. Since launching five years ago, our hospital’s extern program has grown to become one of the largest and most established in Ontario, says Ana-Maria Gligor, an HHS clinical extern coordinator.
The province-wide extern program was introduced in 2021 to help hospitals address staffing shortages during the COVID19 pandemic. As part of this effort, hospitals in Ontario run their own extern programs, giving college and university health care students paid, hands-on experience in a hospital while they complete their studies.
“It’s an excellent program,” says Wagner, a third-year nursing student at McMaster University who works as an extern at HHS McMaster Children’s Hospital (MCH). “It’s exciting to take what we’ve learned in the classroom and experience it in a hospital setting.”
HHS’ extern program is open to university and college students in nursing, physiotherapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), respiratory therapy (RT) and paramedic programs, so they can gain hands-on experience by working in a hospital, alongside experienced staff in their fields. Externs work on a part-time basis, where they can gain skills, confidence, and professional connections while helping to support the delivery of patient care.
“Most of our externs come from McMaster University, Mohawk College and Brock University, though some are from schools further afield,” says Gligor.
Externs aren’t counted as part of the hospital’s official staff. Instead, they’re an additional resource to help support patients and health care teams. “They’re a valued part of our care teams,” says Gligor. “Our doctors, nurses, staff and patients highly value their contributions.”
Over the past five years, HHS has employed approximately 1,255 nursing externs, 72 RT externs, 69 OT externs, 43 PT externs and 19 paramedic externs. Once these students graduated, HHS went on to hire 349 as nurses, 24 as RTs, seven as PTs and six as OTs.
Wagner is one of 192 nursing externs currently working at HHS hospital sites while she completes her studies, as well as 18 RT externs, 18 OT externs, nine PT externs and one paramedic extern.
On-the-job Training
While these learners aren’t yet registered health care professionals, they make significant contributions by helping with tasks they’re allowed to perform as unregulated care providers.
Common tasks include assisting patients with bathing, personal hygiene, dressing, eating, mobility, and providing companionship and support to patients and their families.
Externs can also complete other tasks, depending on their educational background, their area of care and the patient population, when delegated by a regulated health care professional.
Hands-on Experience
Wagner learned about the program at school, through her instructors who recommended it. During the school year, she works one shift per week at MCH, and in summer she puts in full time hours.
The experience helped confirm she wants to work with kids. “I’ve had placements at other hospital sites through school, but I’ve enjoyed paediatric care the most,” she says.
Her work includes helping young patients feel comfortable and calm when getting needles or IV insertions. “Many kids aren’t comfortable getting poked, and externs are an extra set of hands to help nurses,” she says, adding that other responsibilities include taking vital signs such as temperature and blood pressure.
“I really enjoy taking care of people and learning from our nurses, patients and their families,” adds Wagner. “There’s a special place in my heart for paediatric care.”
Celebrating Success
On Feb. 23, HHS held an awards day to celebrate outstanding clinical externs.
Distinguished Clinical Extern Award
This award recognizes externs who demonstrate excellence, reliability, leadership, professionalism and patient-centred care.
Winners:
Positive Presence Award
This award recognizes clinical externs who consistently bring optimism, encouragement and a positive attitude to their patients and team members.
Outstanding Clinical Extern Team Award
This award recognizes an outstanding group of clinical externs from the same unit or department. This winning group demonstrates teamwork, professionalism and dedication to exceptional patient care.
Winner:
McMaster Children’s Hospital 3C/Z pediatric medicine and complex care unit: McMaster nursing students Allison D’Angela, Hannah Dawdry, Maham Khalid, Shani Ozer and Lupita Reyes; York University nursing student Fadel Audu; Brock University nursing student Joey Peter-Manickam; and McMaster OT student Kayla Overholt.