In University of Louisville nursing student Ivone Adamenou’s native Togo, health access is impossible for many.

“Even having the opportunity to pursue a career in nursing is very difficult,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to do something that would make a difference in people’s lives.”

Adamenou and 40 other nursing students from schools across Kentucky will prepare to enter the health care field while participating in UofL Hospital’s summer nurse extern program.

For nine weeks, students will work directly with a registered nurse to provide patient care, sharpening clinical reasoning skills and learning about assessments, medication administration and charting standards.

“Working with a registered nurse one-on-one will help me gain confidence to work in the hospital environment and apply the clinical skills I’ve learned to the real world,” said Adamenou, who will work the night shift in the Center for Women and Infants.

The hospital originally had 30 nurse extern positions, but increased the number because the quality of applicants was so high, said Shari Kretzschmer, R.N., M.S.N., M.B.A., N.E.A.-B.C., UofL Hospital vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer.

“The extern program amplifies the work we are doing as a teaching hospital to train the best and brightest in the field of nursing,” Kretzschmer said.

Externs will receive hiring priority upon graduation and may work as part-time nursing assistants while finishing school.

Flynn Crawford, a student at the UofL School of Nursing, will work in the emergency department, where he will gain trauma experience in preparation for his dream job of being a flight nurse. Crawford will graduate as a second lieutenant in the Air Force.

“I will gain so much knowledge and experience being at one of the best hospitals in the state,” Crawford said.

2018 UofL Hospital Nurse Externs

Ivone Adamenou         UofL

Sarah Adamic              UofL

Courtney Albers          UofL

Cody Aubrey                Bellarmine University

Alyssa Bailey               UofL

Whitney Barbour        UofL

Amber Close               Bellarmine University

Rachel Covington        Bellarmine University

Gabrielle Cox              Western Kentucky University

Flynn Crawford           UofL

Angela Ellendson         UofL

Meghan Farris             UofL

Meagan Geisen           Bellarmine University

Emma Gohlinghorst    Eastern Kentucky University

Kiera Hawkins             UofL

Vanessa Hearn            Bellarmine University

Sarah Heitzman           UofL

Angela Kiefer              UofL

Hnem Kim                   UofL

Annie Kramer              UofL

Matthew Neamon       Jefferson Community & Technical College

Peyton Parker             UofL

Garry Posey                 UofL

Hari Poudel                 UofL

Alison Price                 UofL

Marisa Raggio             Bellarmine University

Alex Ralph                   Bellarmine University

Tasha Revolus             UofL

Jun Ruan                     UofL

Breanna Sherrard       UofL

Victoria Smith             Murray State University

Erin Troy                      UofL

McKenzie Waldron     UofL

Amie Walters              Jefferson Community & Technical College

Amber Weber             Ivy Tech Community College

Devon Welshons         Bellarmine University

Kayla Whitfield            UofL

Kerry Wilson                UofL

Sydney Wiseheart       UofL

Candice Zambella       UofL

Aurelia Zilinskas          UofL

Image of post author
Article by:

UofL Health

UofL Health is a fully integrated regional academic health system with eight hospitals, four medical centers, Brown Cancer Center, Eye Institute, nearly 200 physician practice locations, and more than 1,000 providers in Louisville and the surrounding counties, including southern Indiana. Additional access to UofL Health is provided through a partnership with Carroll County Memorial Hospital. With more than 13,000 team members – physicians, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists and other highly-skilled health care professionals, UofL Health is focused on one mission: to transform the health of communities we serve through compassionate, innovative, patient-centered care.

All posts by UofL Health
Calendar icon that indicates scheduling an appointment
Schedule an
Appointment