Program overview
The Nursing Student Work-Study Summer Internship Program provides upper- pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing students — between their junior and senior year — with a paid and supervised internship at one of the 21 Kaiser Permanente Northern California medical centers. Interns are exposed to the realities of nursing practice and gain confidence in their skills while working under the supervision of a registered nurse.
Program details
- Conducted during summer break when students are not distracted by other course work.
- Sanctioned by the California Board of Registered Nursing and structured as a clinical practicum course.
- Students selected by their schools are screened and hired into temporary, non-benefited RN student intern work-study positions at a Kaiser Permanente Northern California medical center for up to a 10 -week period.
- Nursing student interns work in clinical and non-clinical departments, including but not limited to: Quality and Risk, Clinical Education, and Infection Prevention.
- Program costs, including intern salaries, are covered by Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefit and administered by the Patient Care Services Community Health and Workforce of the Future team.
Eligibility
- Students must be enrolled in a BSN program at one of our seven partner universities in Northern California and must be going into their senior year of the nursing program the fall semester after the work-study program. Out-of-state students are not eligible to apply.
- Eligible students will receive information from their university faculty about the application process in February each year.
How to apply
- Nursing student interns at participating universities complete a program application and are selected by university faculty, based on academic excellence, good standing, and other criteria.
Additional information
Hours
Are interns able to work 12-hour shifts?
- No, interns are only allowed to work for a total of three 8-hour shifts per week, totaling 24 hours. They can be assigned to a nurse working 12-hour shifts, but must sign out after working 8 hours.
Can interns work overtime?
- No, interns cannot work any overtime hours.
Supervision
Are interns evaluated by their supervising nurse?
- Yes, interns are evaluated on their performance at both the midpoint and endpoint of internship.
Hiring
Are interns considered Kaiser Permanente employees?
- Yes, interns complete the Kaiser Permanente hiring process and are hired as employees prior to beginning the internship. They are members of the United Healthcare West Union (UHW) and are required to pay monthly dues during their term of employment as RN student interns (non-negotiable).
What if a unit wants to hire an intern?
- Medical centers may hire RN student interns who are interested in a posted position within their department after the work study program if they are a good fit and meet the minimum qualifications for the role they are applying for. Some medical centers hire their interns as techs until they graduate and become registered nurses.
Placements
How is it determined what medical centers have interns and how many?
- Placements are based on requests from medical center departments for RN student intern positions. Efforts are made to match each intern with one of their preferred locations and departments as indicated on their application.
Can interns float to other areas than assigned for unique learning opportunities?
- Interns are expected to work in the department they were hired, however, if the hiring manager coordinates with another department and an RN is available to supervise, the intern may float to that department for a shift.
How is it determined if interns are qualified for assigned placement?
- School faculty select interns based on their competency level. Each student intern is required to share their skills competency checklist from their school with their hiring manager. If there is an opportunity to practice verified skills under RN supervision, the intern may do so. Interns are not permitted by the California Board of Registered Nursing to learn new skills during this program.
Contacts
Jodi Galli
jodi.b.galli@kp.org
