Student Clinical Internships
Why Nemours
At Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida, you’ll gain hands-on experience caring for children across a variety of therapy settings and specialties. Located in the Lake Nona Medical District, our hospital is the only freestanding children’s hospital in Central Florida.
Hospital & Training Environment
Most of your training takes place at our hospital, with 130 inpatient beds and a busy pediatric Emergency Department. Both local patients and pediatric travelers from around the world seek care here. You will care for patients with common pediatric diseases as well as those with medically- and socially-complex concerns. With more than 180 pediatric faculty across nearly every specialty, you will gain both breadth and depth in your clinical experience. Take a video tour of the hospital now.
Student Learning Experience
Our clinical instructors are committed to providing high-quality care while creating meaningful opportunities for students to learn. Through collaboration, observation, and hands-on experience, you’ll have opportunities to practice progressive therapeutic strategies and build your clinical skills in a variety of pediatric settings. We encourage students to take ownership of their learning while gaining insight from experienced pediatric clinicians.
As a student, you’ll receive guidance and tools to enhance your learning. Depending on your discipline and clinical placement, you may have opportunities to experience:
- Acute, inpatient rehabilitation, and outpatient services
- Specialty practice areas (varies by discipline) including:
- Pediatric and cardiac ICUs
- NICU
- Feeding
- Pain management
- Splinting and serial casting
- Auditory verbal therapy
- Assistive technology
- Augmentative communication
- Hospital-sponsored educational opportunities
- Vendor demonstrations
- Surgical observation
Student Project
A final project is a required part of the Nemours student placement program. It’s an opportunity to deepen your knowledge and apply what you’ve learned to a specific area of service delivery.
You may choose how to present the evidence-based information you gather, including:
- PowerPoint presentations
- Caregiver handouts
- Resource documents
- Infographic posters
- Applying equipment, outcome measures, and clinical tools
- Poster presentations
- Video/pre-recorded presentations
- Literature review
Application and Selection
Clinical experiences at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida are coordinated through your school’s clinical education coordinator in the year before your requested internship. Our goal is to provide students with a structured experience that builds pediatric knowledge and clinical skills.
Eligibility
- Requests for clinical affiliations must come directly from your graduate program coordinator.
- Your school must have an active educational affiliation agreement with Nemours.
- You must have a strong primary interest in pediatrics.
- You must be completing your terminal affiliation.
- You must follow your clinical instructor’s schedule, which may include Saturdays.
Recommended Experience
- Experience working with children and adolescents through employment or volunteer opportunities
- Exposure to pediatric service delivery
- Leadership experience
- Student membership in a discipline-specific professional organization
- For acute care placements, inpatient experience
Requirements and Clearances
General Requirements
- Information Confidentiality and Information Use Agreement (ICAUA), signed and returned
- Certification of Completion of Student Pre-Clinical Requirements Attestation Form, signed and returned. It includes the items below:
- Criminal background check (level 2, includes fingerprinting) for each state or county of residence for the past seven years, completed within 60 days prior to start
- 9-panel drug screen, completed within 30 days prior to start
- Up-to-date immunizations (current through semester): Chicken pox/varicella, hepatitis B, measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), seasonal flu, and tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Tdap)
- Tuberculosis (TB) skin testing within one year of internship
- Current American Heart Association CPR/BLS course completion
- Completion of Nemours University web-based training within the week prior to start date
- Student Orientation/Policies Packet reviewed, signed, and returned
Frequently Asked Questions
Housing
Onsite housing is not available for students.
Meals
Meals are available for purchase in the hospital cafeteria, with additional snacks and drinks available from the cafeteria and café. Refrigerators and microwaves are available onsite for student and associate use.
Dress code
Most therapists wear scrub pants or comfortable dress pants with a t-shirt, polo, or long-sleeve shirt and sneakers. Please note:
- Identification badge must be worn at all times, above waist level.
- Scrubs or professional attire are allowed.
- Clothing must be clean and in good condition.
- Clothing with graphics or logos must depict an appropriate pediatric theme.
- Closed-toed shoes are required. Socks must be worn if shoes are removed.
- Yoga pants and leggings are not allowed.
- Keep jewelry to a minimum. Avoid dangling earrings or necklaces that can be pulled by a patient.
- Maintain a neat, clean, and well-groomed appearance.
- Fingernail polish is permitted if it is not chipped. Artificial nails and enhancements are not permitted, and natural nail tips should be less than ¼ inch long (see the hand hygiene policy for details).
Location and Parking
A vehicle is recommended because public transportation options are limited. Parking is free.
Address: 6535 Nemours Parkway, Orlando, FL 32827
Hours
Department hours vary by clinical instructor, setting, and discipline. General department hours are:
- Monday-Thursday: 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Friday: 7:45 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.
- Saturday: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Your clinical instructor will provide your schedule before your internship begins.
Additional Resources
Program and discipline-specific resources will be shared before your start date, as applicable.