Nurse Associate Externship Prepares Caregiver for a Bright Future
When Gabby Repko was a little girl, she drew herself wearing blue scrubs and a stethoscope. Inspired by the care she received during two knee surgeries, she knew she wanted to be a nurse and take care of patients the way the nurses took care of her. “It just made me realize I want to give back and help others thrive, as they helped me,” she says.
Starting her journey as a Patient Care Nurse Associate (PCNA) at Cleveland Clinic Main Campus, Gabby is on track to graduate from Bowling Green State’s School of Nursing in spring of 2025. She’s already secured a spot in the organization’s Nurse Residency Program as a medical/surgical nurse — a unique opportunity she obtained even before graduating.
Preparing for Success in Nurse Associate Externship
Gabby wisely set herself up for success in a healthcare career when she applied for Cleveland Clinic’s 10-week, paid traditional Nurse Associate Externship (NAE) on the advice of her nursing program director. Cleveland Clinic offers a choice of full-time traditional, perioperative, or advanced externships, depending on the candidate’s interest, at 12 Ohio hospital locations.
Working closely with RN mentors in the med/surg unit, Gabby worked at Hillcrest Hospital in the summer of 2024. She gained experience with tasks like catheter and IV removal, physical assessments, and even performing an electrocardiogram. “My favorite part of the program was learning under a nurse’s guidance and seeing how they build their workday, identify their scope of practice, and what they can do for each patient,” she says.
Exploring Specialties Through “Experience Days”
The NAE also offered Gabby the chance to explore different specialties during the program’s “experience days.” She rotated between the pediatric ER, an ICU, and other units, but she’s still drawn to the variety available in med/surg. Other NAE specialties include Neurology, Oncology, Critical Care, Women’s Health, and more. She says, “Med/surg is always a mystery of who you’re going to care for next and the disease process you’re going to care for. It’s not the same specialty every time — it’s always something new or different. I think starting in a basic med/surg role will help solidify the knowledge I got in nursing school.”
Why the NAE Stands Out
Gabby highlights several benefits of Cleveland Clinic’s NAE program. “Much of the education surrounding the externship has been teaching me not just how to do things, but why I’m doing them. Infection control was a big focus, learning the right steps to make sure the patient doesn’t get worse. It’s understanding each disease process and building on that.”
In addition, Gabby says, “Usually, you pay to learn,” she states, “but here you’re being paid to learn. The training helps boost your education during breaks from school, so you’re a step ahead when you return. Plus, you’re helping people out.”
The number of facilities at Cleveland Clinic was also a selling point for Gabby, who chose to transfer to Hillcrest Hospital after completing her internship there. “Not only is it close to home, but I like how much smaller it is and how everybody knows everybody else.”
A Bright Future
As the externship came to a close, Gabby got the great news she was hoping for: she was offered a full-time RN role at Hillcrest Hospital, pending her licensure. “I am ecstatic to work on a floor that I already have experience on.”
Empathy in Action
Now that she’s returned to her role as a PCNA, Gabby describes her work environment as highly team-oriented and supportive. “We are open to communication, always doing huddles every day, making sure everybody knows what’s going on in the unit, and if anybody has any questions, to speak up. Just making sure we’re all there for each other,” she says.
Gabby emphasizes the importance of empathy in their work. “I think our nurses and our aides on our floor really care for the patients — the whole patient and their morale in general, too, and making sure that they feel good, not only physically, but holistically, in general. Our nurses really do care and advocate for our patients and how they feel,” she states.
Looking Ahead
With an exciting future ahead of her, Gabby summed up the experience at Cleveland Clinic this way: “There are so many places to go, connections to make, and things to learn.”
When Gabby Repko was a little girl, she drew herself wearing blue scrubs and a stethoscope. Inspired by the care she received during two knee surgeries, she knew she wanted to be a nurse and take care of patients the way the nurses took care of her. “It just made me realize I want to give back and help others thrive, as they helped me,” she says.
Starting her journey as a Patient Care Nurse Associate (PCNA) at Cleveland Clinic Main Campus, Gabby is on track to graduate from Bowling Green State’s School of Nursing in spring of 2025. She’s already secured a spot in the organization’s Nurse Residency Program as a medical/surgical nurse — a unique opportunity she obtained even before graduating.
Preparing for Success in Nurse Associate Externship
Gabby wisely set herself up for success in a healthcare career when she applied for Cleveland Clinic’s 10-week, paid traditional Nurse Associate Externship (NAE) on the advice of her nursing program director. Cleveland Clinic offers a choice of full-time traditional, perioperative, or advanced externships, depending on the candidate’s interest, at 12 Ohio hospital locations.
Working closely with RN mentors in the med/surg unit, Gabby worked at Hillcrest Hospital in the summer of 2024. She gained experience with tasks like catheter and IV removal, physical assessments, and even performing an electrocardiogram. “My favorite part of the program was learning under a nurse’s guidance and seeing how they build their workday, identify their scope of practice, and what they can do for each patient,” she says.
Exploring Specialties Through “Experience Days”
The NAE also offered Gabby the chance to explore different specialties during the program’s “experience days.” She rotated between the pediatric ER, an ICU, and other units, but she’s still drawn to the variety available in med/surg. Other NAE specialties include Neurology, Oncology, Critical Care, Women’s Health, and more. She says, “Med/surg is always a mystery of who you’re going to care for next and the disease process you’re going to care for. It’s not the same specialty every time — it’s always something new or different. I think starting in a basic med/surg role will help solidify the knowledge I got in nursing school.”
Why the NAE Stands Out
Gabby highlights several benefits of Cleveland Clinic’s NAE program. “Much of the education surrounding the externship has been teaching me not just how to do things, but why I’m doing them. Infection control was a big focus, learning the right steps to make sure the patient doesn’t get worse. It’s understanding each disease process and building on that.”
In addition, Gabby says, “Usually, you pay to learn,” she states, “but here you’re being paid to learn. The training helps boost your education during breaks from school, so you’re a step ahead when you return. Plus, you’re helping people out.”
The number of facilities at Cleveland Clinic was also a selling point for Gabby, who chose to transfer to Hillcrest Hospital after completing her internship there. “Not only is it close to home, but I like how much smaller it is and how everybody knows everybody else.”
A Bright Future
As the externship came to a close, Gabby got the great news she was hoping for: she was offered a full-time RN role at Hillcrest Hospital, pending her licensure. “I am ecstatic to work on a floor that I already have experience on.”
Empathy in Action
Now that she’s returned to her role as a PCNA, Gabby describes her work environment as highly team-oriented and supportive. “We are open to communication, always doing huddles every day, making sure everybody knows what’s going on in the unit, and if anybody has any questions, to speak up. Just making sure we’re all there for each other,” she says.
Gabby emphasizes the importance of empathy in their work. “I think our nurses and our aides on our floor really care for the patients — the whole patient and their morale in general, too, and making sure that they feel good, not only physically, but holistically, in general. Our nurses really do care and advocate for our patients and how they feel,” she states.
Looking Ahead
With an exciting future ahead of her, Gabby summed up the experience at Cleveland Clinic this way: “There are so many places to go, connections to make, and things to learn.”
