INTERNSHIP DETAILS

Nurse Extern Behavioral Health

CompanyBanner Health
LocationSouth Tucson
Work ModeOn Site
PostedJune 8, 2026
Internship Information
Core Responsibilities
Provide direct nursing care and crisis intervention for behavioral health patients under the supervision of a registered nurse. Assist in patient assessment, care planning, and the implementation of therapeutic services in a recovery-focused environment.
Internship Type
part time
Company Size
35530
Visa Sponsorship
No
Language
English
Working Hours
20 hours
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About The Company
Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health is one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns and operates 33 acute-care hospitals, Banner Health Network, Banner – University Medicine, academic and employed physician groups, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services; including Banner Urgent Care, family clinics, home care and hospice services, pharmacies and a nursing registry. Banner Health is in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming.
About the Role

Primary City/State:

Tucson, Arizona

Department Name:

BHS East DeEx-Hosp

Work Shift:

Day

Job Category:

Nursing

Are you a nursing student graduating in 12 months or less (Junior or Senior students)? Are you ready to gain hands-on experience in a clinical setting before you graduate? Look no further than Banner Health's new Nurse Extern program!

Banner University Medical Center South, Tucson, AZ - Cardiac Receiving Center and a designated “senior-friendly” hospital. The Behavioral Health Pavilion is home to the largest psychiatric inpatient service in Southern Arizona. The Campus also includes an Emergency department, with a state-designated trauma center. These East Unit RN positions will help support our highest acuity level of involuntary behavioral health patients. They do have 24/7 security on the unit as well. Our RN team helps provide 24/7 crisis intervention and therapeutic services in a medically safe, recovery-focused environment.

sed environment.

This particular Behavioral Health Nurse Extern position will be working with involuntary and voluntary Behavioral Health patients at the Behavioral Health Hospital located at Banner University Medical Center South.Under the supervision of an RN preceptor, Banner Health Nurse Externs will have the chance to practice various skills, including: assessing patients, administering medications, adjusting IV pump rates or devices, parenteral fluids, blood products or IV flushes, initiating, titrating and discontinuing oxygen, and performing basic data collection in an EMR. In addition, our nurse externs will have the chance to practice any skill for which they have received didactic and clinical instruction for an can provide evidence of a skill checklist from an accredited nursing program. Throughout the program, our nursing externs are also able to spend time with the clinical case manager, observe procedures, or participate in other activities relevant to the patient population with which they are involved.

Banner's goal when placing an RN Nurse Extern is that you continue on as a New Grad RN with the same team that you selected for your Nurse Extern position (after successfully graduating and obtaining your RN licensure).

This is an amazing opportunity to grow and to obtain an amazing skill set even before receiving your RN license.

Nurse Extern Requirements

  • Must be enrolled in an accredited nursing program and within 1 year of graduation.
  • Must be able to graduate from an accredited nursing program on initial anticipated graduation date.
  • Current BLS certification
  • Must be able to pass Nursing State Boards within 90 days after graduation. Or in the event a second attempt is needed, must schedule and pass within an additional 60 days from the first attempt.
  • Will work a minimum and be guaranteed of 12 hours a month; cannot exceed 20 hours per week (this must be tracked by the employee)
  • Very Part-Time Day Shift Hours are 7AM-7:30PM
  • (Any Night and Weekend Diffentials are in place, but no regular benfits or PTO)

Banner - University Medical Center South is a comprehensive academic medical center that includes an Emergency department, a state-designated trauma center and a Behavioral Health Pavilion. We are an Arizona Department of Health Services-accredited Cardiac Receiving Center and a Nurses Improving Care for Health system Elders-designated senior-friendly hospital. The hospital is staffed by physicians who are full-time faculty of the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson and is managed by Banner Health under an operating agreement with Pima County. Our specialty services include inpatient and outpatient behavioral health, treatment and education for diabetes, innovative geriatrics care and comprehensive orthopedics.

POSITION SUMMARY
This positioin, under the direct supervision of a licensed professional registered nurse, will allow the nursing student within one year from graduation with a Bachelor’s or Associate Degree in Nursing prior to passing State Boards, the ability to expand their clinical experience while working through standard Nurse Extern competency assessment on a wide variety of patient care activities, which include classroom training, participation in patient care planning, implementation, observation and evaluation, as well as identification/reporting significant observations. The unlicensed Nurse Extern role is not a permanent position. Employment will be impacted based on criteria outlined in the Nurse Program policy.

CORE FUNCTIONS
1. The unlicensed Nurse Extern must always be under the direct supervision of a designated licensed professional registered nurse.

2. Provides direct nursing care including attending to client’s comfort needs and other nursing skills/procedures for which they have received didactic & clinical instruction in their program, as well as their competency established and witnessed under the direct supervision of a licensed professional registered nurse.

3. Assists in the assessment, planning, diagnosis, implementation, evaluation and nursing care under direct supervision of a licensed professional registered nurse.

4. Must be able to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills and analyze complex data in order to identify and report patient status to a licensed professional registered nurse

5. Collaborates with other disciplines in the planning, implementation, evaluation and modification of nursing care under the direct supervisor of a licensed professional registered nurse.

6. Follows safety standards, adheres to compliance education/training, and performs all functions according to established policies/procedures, regulatory and accreditation requirements as well as applicable professional standards in all aspects of performance, while demonstrating Banner’s core behaviors in order to deliver an excellent service experience.

7. May not perform any skill independently or without direct supervision of the licensed professional registered nurse. Interacts with all levels of staff in a variety of departments: physicians, patients, families and external contacts, such as employees of other health care institutions, community providers and agencies, concerning the health care of the patient. Performs specific duties related to the assigned nursing unit under direct supervision of the licensed professional registered nurse & within the approved polices of the facility in which they are employed. Interacts with other health care providers in numerous settings in order to report and ask for or clarify information. The unlicensed Nurse Extern can continue to perform routine, repetitive nursing activities within the essential functions of the Nurse Extern role that require no nursing judgement while pending transfer into the RN New Graduate role. The unlicensed Nurse Extern must always be under the direct supervision of a designated licensed professional registered nurse.
 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS


Must be enrolled in an accredited nursing program and within 1 year of graduation upon hire.

Must be able to graduate from an accredited nursing program on initial anticipated graduation date at day of hire.

Certification for BLS is required. Must be able to pass Nursing State Boards within 90 days after graduation or in the event a second attempt is needed, must schedule and pass within an additional 60 days from first attempt

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Additional related education and/or experience preferred.

EEO Statement:

EEO/Disabled/Veterans

Our organization supports a drug-free work environment.

Privacy Policy:

Privacy Policy

Key Skills
Patient AssessmentMedication AdministrationIV Pump ManagementCrisis InterventionEMR Data CollectionTherapeutic ServicesCritical ThinkingProblem SolvingPatient Care PlanningClinical Observation
Categories
HealthcareSocial Services