Nurse externs will complete a 10-week program. The externship consists of clinical experience and classroom activities. Externs will be placed on one of the following units based upon the interview:

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
• Hematology/Oncology floor
• Surgical floor
• Rehabilitation/Transitional Care Unit
• Cardiac Unit
• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
• Medical floor
• GI/Renal floor
• Emergency department
• Endocrine floor
• Epilepsy Monitoring Unit/Medical Unit

BSN students with at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA who will have completed 2 clinical courses by May 18 may apply. Applicants may not be enrolled in an ADN to BSN program, worked as an LVN previously, or enrolled for summer college courses. Externs work their RN Extern Guide's schedule and must be available to work any day of the week. Externs work only day shift (no evenings/nights).

Application process

The 2026 Nurse Extern Program has concluded and is currently on break. Emails sent to nurse.extern@cookchildrens.org will not be monitored during this time. Information regarding the 2027 Nurse Extern Program is anticipated to be available in October. In the meantime, please refer to the timeline below for the 2026-2027 application process.

Applicants complete an online application as well as a Nurse Extern Program Request for Additional Information. Transcript and two Letter of Recommendation forms are also required. (We recommend downloading and saving the Nurse Extern Program Request for Additional Information and the Letter of Recommendation to your computer before completing or sending to your references.)

Cook Children's will only accept the first 100 completed applications. Once 100 complete applications are received, the Cook Children's online application submission portal will close. This could happen well before the identified January 26 application deadline date. Applications must include the following items in order to be considered “complete”:

• Complete Workday online position application 
• Complete Nurse Extern Program Request for Additional Information form
• Two essays (included in the Nurse Extern Program Request for Additional Information form)
• Two Letter of Recommendation forms (with at least one from a nursing professor/instructor)
• Current transcript showing evidence of enrollment in or completion of 2 clinical courses in an accredited baccalaureate program by May 18 and a cumulative grade point average ≥ 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

You must complete the online application and submit all your required documentation together in one email by January 26, 2026. The two individuals completing the letter of recommendation forms should send the form directly to nurse.extern@cookchildrens.org.

Selection process

The nurse extern coordinators will evaluate applications and select candidates for interviews. If you are selected for an interview, you'll be contacted to arrange an appointment.

Timeline

• Dec. 1, 2025 – Cook Children’s Workday online application portal opens
• Jan. 26, 2026 – Deadline for all application components, including on-line application (must be received by 7:00 a.m. CST)
• Week of Feb. 16-20, 2026 – Interviews (via Zoom)
• Week of Feb. 23, 2026 – Selection of externs and notification
• May 18, 2026 – Start of program
• July 25, 2026 – End of program

More information

For questions, please contact Educational and Professional Development:

Jennifer Stephen, Ph.D., RN, CPN
Jennifer.Stephen@cookchildrens.org
682-885-4174

or

Katy Yanez, MSN, RN, CNOR
Katy.Yanez@cookchildrens.org
682-885-3262

or

Roberta Miller DNP, RN, CPN, CPEN, TCRN
Roberta.L.Miller@cookchildrens.org
682-885-7741