Externs
The Ministry of Health’s Enhanced Extern Program (EEP) was rapidly adopted by many hospitals across Ontario to bolster the health-care work force. As the largest pediatric rehabilitation hospital in Canada, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital presents a unique health-care environment to work in. In partnership with the Collaborative Practice and Clinical Education team, our Enhanced Extern Program strives to provide valuable practical experiences for externs while also supporting ongoing learning, professional development, staff wellness and transition to practice.
Currently, Holland Bloorview considers clinical learners actively enrolled in any of the fields of study listed below as eligible for extern positions with the Enhanced Extern Program:
Nursing
Nursing students that have completed at least half of a College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) approved Baccalaureate Nursing (BScN or BN) or Practical Nursing (PN) program.
Occupational Therapy (OT)
OT students that are enrolled in any year of study in an OT Master’s program accredited by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.
Physiotherapy (PT)
PT students that are enrolled in any year of study in a PT Master’s program accredited by the Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada.
Respiratory Therapy (RT)
RT students that are enrolled in the second or third year of a training program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Respiratory Therapy Education.
Following an extensive onboarding process, externs have the opportunity to learn and acquire specialized skills while working across all inpatient units and in select outpatient and community programs. The key foundations of extern practice at Holland Bloorview includes ongoing health assessment, contributions of direct client care based on permitted care activities, integration and collaboration with an interprofessional team based on a supervision and mentorship model.
Enhanced Extern Program FAQs for Interested Applicants
Externs are clinical learners who are employed as unregulated care providers to work in collaboration with our diverse health-care team under the supervision of regulated care providers. At Holland Bloorview, externs are valuable partners in the provision of our strength-based, solution-focused and client-family centered care.
Job opportunities will be posted on our job search tool. You may find it helpful to set up automatic job notifications which will send an email alert directly to you when a new opening for a job in your selected category has been posted. Click “notify me about future openings” and select the category that you’re interested in. Extern positions will be posted under “student opportunities”.
We receive a high number of applicants and value your interest in our program. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted. If you are selected, you will be invited to participate in a virtual interview with a group panel. If you are a successful applicant, you will receive a job contract, a detailed orientation schedule and other important hiring information.
Externs provide an extension of extending support with clinical care activities that are needed to provide safe, compassionate, timely and efficient care. As unregulated care providers, externs can perform a variety of activities that are not subject to the Regulated Health Professional Act (RHPA). Under the direct and indirect supervision of regulated health care providers, some activities include but are not limited to:
- Vital signs and head-to-toe health assessments
- Supporting activities of daily living such as dressing, oral feeding, incontinence/continence care and bathing
- Assisting with safe lifting, transfers and turns
- Tip suctioning
- Select enteral feeding and care
- Assisting with range of motion and weight-bearing activities
- Select wound care and management
- Procedural support
- Equipment set-up
- Participation in unit-based projects, quality and safety improvement initiatives and research projects
Externs work a combination of day, evening and night shifts on weekdays and weekends. In general, shifts can be eight to 12 hours in length. Externs are expected to work in accordance with their full-time equivalency described on their job contracts. Some exceptions apply based on individual circumstances but typically from May to August, externs can work up to 1.0FTE. During the academic year (i.e. September to April), this reduces to 0.1FTE which equates to one eight-hour shift every two weeks.
