HPU students (left to right) Charlenee Caraang-Gilbert, Alyssa Gabriel, Bethany Dela Cruz with HPU Dean of the School of Nursing Edna Magpantay-Monroe.
The Queen's Medical Center (QMC) recently welcomed four exceptional HPU nursing students to participate in its prestigious summer internship program. Alyssa Gabriel, Ian Canlas, Brithney Dela Cruz, and Charlenee Caraang-Gilbert were chosen for this highly competitive opportunity.
The QMC Summer Internship was open to all level two nursing students. The internship provides students with an invaluable opportunity to gain hands-on experience in one of Hawaiʻi’s top medical institutions. The internship spans seven weeks, offering a deep dive into the world of nursing care at QMC, which includes its Punchbowl and West O‘ahu Campuses.
The internship encompasses the summer months from May 23 through July 28, 2023. Each HPU nursing student was awarded a scholarship of $2,000. The program aims to provide students with a total of 270 precepted hours.
To secure a spot in the program, HPU students had to undergo a rigorous selection process. This included submitting a professional resume and participating in interviews with leadership and department managers across the Queens organization. With only four positions available for HPU students, the competition was fierce.
HPU Assistant Professor Joelle Phillips, DNP, RN, provided faculty oversight for the program, ensuring that the HPU students received guidance and support they needed throughout their internship journey.
During their internship, students were paired with RN preceptors who offered valuable clinical experiences appropriate to their level of training. This hands-on experience allowed them to work alongside seasoned professionals and gain a deeper understanding of the nursing profession.
At the conclusion of the program, QMC made contingent job offers to all student participants, further underlining the success and significance of this internship opportunity.
“It was wonderful to see our students selected for this internship and finishing 270 precepted hours this summer,” HPU Dean of the School of Nursing, Edna R. Magpantay-Monroe Ed.D., APRN, CMDCP, said. “While at the graduation ceremony on Aug 14, I was so proud to see HPU represented. Students were very comfortable sharing their experiences, and it was nice to see the growth of these students.”
Canlas shared his thoughts on the experience, saying, “This internship was a great way for me to get my foot in the door at Queens hospital. It has allowed me to gain more confidence in my nursing skills and hopefully prepare me more for when I graduate.”
Dela Cruz, who had the opportunity to work in the surgical ICU, commented, “This internship meant that I would get a unique, one-of-a-kind opportunity as a nursing student in the surgical ICU at Queen's Medical Center, the only level one trauma hospital on the island. As a current employee in the main operating room at Queen's, the surgical ICU was my first choice for this internship because I wanted to see patients post-operatively and I also wanted to challenge myself. It was definitely the challenge that I was looking for. The skills that I learned, the relationships that I've made, the confidence that I've gained in myself, is truly invaluable.”
Caraang-Gilbert highlighted the personal and professional growth she experienced during the internship, stating, “Being accepted for this internship meant gaining more nursing experience I wouldn’t have been able to gain in school clinical or reading textbooks. I was able to implement critical thinking and better critical judgment every day or night I came to work with my preceptor. This internship also now gained me more long-lasting relationships with the people I came to work with and a unit floor family I am honored to have met, so I don’t regret how I spent my summer 2023.”
QMC’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals through programs like the summer internship demonstrates the importance of hands-on experience and mentorship in the healthcare field.
To learn more about the HPU School of Nursing, click here.
