If you are considering nursing as a future career path, nursing internships can be a good starting point. These programs give you early exposure to how healthcare systems actually function beyond textbooks and classroom simulations. Through structured nursing internships, you can begin developing practical competencies, including patient interaction protocols, clinical observation skills, medical documentation literacy, and an understanding of care workflows across departments. From an admissions perspective, nursing internships signal sustained interest in healthcare, familiarity with clinical environments, and readiness for patient-facing responsibility, qualities nursing schools and allied health programs value.
If you are interested in exploring various careers in healthcare, you can check out our list of hospital internships and our blog on medical internships.
Why choose a nursing internship over other programs?
Unlike general health science pre-college programs, nursing internships focus on care delivery processes rather than theoretical exposure. Many internships emphasize patient safety, infection control, and interdisciplinary communication, allowing you to see how nurses coordinate with physicians, technicians, and support staff. You may be introduced to clinical tools such as electronic health record (EHR) systems, vital sign monitoring equipment, and standardized patient assessment frameworks. The focus is typically on workflow comprehension—how care is prioritized, documented, and executed—rather than diagnostic decision-making or clinical research. This makes nursing internships distinct from pre-med or research programs in both scope and skill development.
15 Nursing Internships for High School Students
1. Brown University Health’s Seacole Scholars Program
Location: Brown University Health, Providence, RI
Stipend: Paid (hourly wage for full-time work of ~40 hours/week)
Dates: June – August (seven to eight weeks)
Application deadline: Varies; applications open in November.
Eligibility: High school students, ages 16 – 19, who have valid Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) licenses
The Seacole Scholars Program is a paid, clinical employment opportunity that places you directly on hospital nursing units as a working CNA. You will spend four days a week delivering supervised patient care and developing skills in vital sign monitoring, patient mobility assistance, hygiene care, and clinical communication. One day each week is dedicated to structured workforce development training focused on professional skills, healthcare careers, and long-term advancement. The program emphasizes exposure to real clinical workflows, teamwork with registered nurses, familiarity with documentation practices, and adherence to patient safety protocols. As a participant, you will work actively within inpatient nursing environments rather than engaging in short-term shadowing.
2. Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program
Location: Online or at various medical facilities in Los Angeles County, CA
Cost/Stipend: None, but a single $500 scholarship is awarded to one participant.
Dates: Varies by placement; online sessions typically run for two weeks in the summer.
Application deadline: February 13
Eligibility: Current 11th or 12th grade high school students living in Los Angeles or adjacent counties who meet facility-specific age and clearance requirements; a U.S. Social Security number is required for in-person placements.
The Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program is a long-running medical mentorship program that introduces high schoolers to clinical care through structured exposure rather than hands-on employment. You will attend daily sessions, either virtually or in person, led by healthcare professionals across nursing, pediatrics, pharmacy, radiology, infectious disease, rehabilitation therapies, and allied health fields. The program emphasizes clinical workflows, interdisciplinary communication, and role differentiation within healthcare teams. In in-person placements, you will observe hospital operations and patient-facing environments while adhering to strict compliance protocols such as HIPAA training and medical clearances. You will also develop professional skills through required orientations, reflective writing, and a mandatory exit essay.
3. Denver Health’s Medical Career Collaborative (MC²)
Location: Denver Health and various Children’s Hospital Colorado sites in the Denver metro area and Colorado Springs, CO
Stipend: Paid
Dates: Multi-year pathway beginning in the junior year of high school; internships are typically completed during the summer.
Application deadline: March 4
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores attending school in the Denver metro or Colorado Springs areas
MC² is a healthcare pathway program that combines paid clinical internships with structured career preparation. As a participant, you will complete a supervised internship at Denver Health or Children’s Hospital Colorado, working alongside healthcare professionals, including nurses, CNAs, technicians, therapists, and physicians. The program emphasizes practical skill development, introducing you to medical terminology, professional communication, and clinical workflows across departments. You will also participate in weekly seminars that reinforce concepts from your internship and introduce you to broader topics in healthcare delivery. Beyond the internship, MC² provides mentoring, postsecondary advising, and access to healthcare-related certifications.
4. Cleveland Clinic’s CYCE High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Cleveland Clinic Northeast Ohio sites, OH
Stipend: $15/hour
Dates: June 8 – July 28
Application deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 – 12, ages 15 or up by June 1, who are U.S. citizens/permanent residents with a minimum 2.5 GPA preferred; residency requirements vary by track.
The CYCE High School Summer Internship Program is a seven-week, full-time paid internship that places you in a structured healthcare work environment. Depending on your selected track, you may work in clinical settings such as nursing units, laboratory medicine, radiology, or respiratory care, where you will learn patient-facing workflows and care protocols. Non-clinical tracks focus on healthcare operations, including administration, finance, marketing, and patient support systems. Advanced technology tracks introduce you to healthcare IT, data science, clinical engineering, coding, or applied AI within a hospital context. Across all tracks, you will find opportunities develop professional skills such as workplace communication, documentation, and time management through supervised, real-world responsibilities.
5. Parkview Health Student Nurse Program—INSPIRE: Student Nurse Assistant (STNA)
Location: Parkview Health, Fort Wayne, IN
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified)
Dates: Flexible commitment; dates set on a case-by-case basis
Application deadline: Varies by opportunity
Eligibility: High school students, ages 17 and up
This paid nursing program allows you to gain firsthand insights into the daily roles of nurses within a professional healthcare setting. The program begins with over 24 hours of training before placing you on the assigned medical floor. As a Student Nurse Assistant, you will work directly with a Parkview nurse, who will offer mentorship to help you assist with patient care. Here, you will also find opportunities to learn and apply therapeutic communication and clinical care skills.
6. Boston Medical Center’s Junior Summer Volunteer Program
Location: Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 29 – August 21
Application deadline: April 3 or when 100 applications are received; the application window opens on March 6
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors; preference given to Boston residents.
The Junior Summer Volunteer Program is an eight-week opportunity to explore the daily operations of a healthcare facility. Here, you will commit to at least one three-hour shift each week at the Boston Medical Center, engaging in tasks that support hospital operations within one of the facility’s departments, which includes the outpatient pediatric clinic. You will attend one-hour lectures led by professionals such as nurses, physicians, surgeons, social workers, and healthcare administrators. During the program, you will explore a range of roles in healthcare and medicine, as well as the inner workings of a hospital. You will earn credits and receive a certificate of completion at the end of the program.
7. Observer Program @ Baptist Health
Location: Baptist Health hospitals and clinics in South Florida
Stipend: None (unpaid observership)
Dates: Year-round; duration ranges from one day to four weeks (dates set by sponsoring clinician)
Application deadline: Rolling; applications accepted year-round
Eligibility: Students and professionals, ages 16 and up, who have secured sponsoring clinicians
The Baptist Health Observer Program is a clinical shadowing experience designed to help you understand real-world patient care workflows. You will observe physicians and healthcare staff during routine clinical operations, gaining exposure to specialty-specific practices, care coordination, and hospital systems. The program emphasizes professional conduct, patient privacy, and clinical communication rather than skill execution or training. You will learn how care teams interact, how clinical decisions are contextualized, and how healthcare environments operate day to day. As the experience is flexible in length and available year-round, it allows targeted exploration of specific medical or nursing specialties.
8. Hawaiʻi Pacific Health’s Health Careers Summer Internship
Location: Hawai‘i Pacific Health medical centers, including Kapi‘olani, Pali Momi, Straub, Wilcox, and Kauai Medical Clinic, HI
Stipend: Paid
Dates: Six weeks during the summer; dates vary by site
Application deadline: February 20
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors, as well as college students
The Health Careers Summer Internship is a six-week, paid program designed to introduce you to healthcare systems through structured, supervised placements in hospital environments. You will gain exposure to a range of healthcare roles, including nursing, imaging, rehabilitation services, and health IT, depending on the assigned department. The program can help you develop a clearer understanding of hospital operations, care delivery workflows, and interdisciplinary collaboration. You will interact with healthcare professionals across specialties, learning how patient care is coordinated within large medical systems. The experience also focuses on career exploration, professional communication, and familiarity with healthcare environments.
9. High School Foundations Summer Internship Program @ Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Location: Dartmouth Medical Center, Lebanon, NH (additional opportunities may be available at other Dartmouth Health locations)
Stipend: Paid
Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application deadline: March 11
Eligibility: Students, ages 16 and up, entering junior or senior years within high schools local or regional to the assigned sites
This seven-week rotational internship combines paid work experience with professional development, mentoring, and experiential learning across healthcare departments. You will work in two or three different departments throughout the summer, gaining hands-on experience in areas such as perioperative services, medical laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, facilities, or supply chain. The program includes a professional development curriculum focused on communication, teamwork, problem-solving, self-development, empathy, work ethic, and initiative. The program can offer you exposure to patient care and daily healthcare operations.
10. Job Shadowing Program @ MultiCare Health System
Location: MultiCare facilities in the Puget Sound Region and the Inland Northwest, WA
Stipend: None (volunteer-based/unpaid)
Dates: Year-round; scheduled individually after eligibility requirements are met
Application deadline: Rolling; contingent on completion of volunteer hours
Eligibility: Active MultiCare volunteers who have completed at least 60 hours of volunteer service; typically, high school students and older (age requirements vary by site) are eligible.
This job shadowing opportunity allows you to observe healthcare professionals within the MultiCare Health System to understand day-to-day clinical and non-clinical roles. After completing the required volunteer service hours, you will independently identify a staff mentor and request shadowing approval through the regional volunteer coordinator. Shadowing experiences are strictly observational, capped at 12 total hours, and do not involve hands-on patient care or clinical procedures. The program is designed to support career exploration by exposing you to healthcare workflows, interdisciplinary team dynamics, and professional responsibilities within hospital settings.
11. Mayo Clinic’s Medical Experience (MedEx) Program
Location: Mayo Clinic Health System, Eau Claire, WI
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June – August (dates vary based on availability)
Application deadline: April 30
Eligibility: High school students, ages 16 and up, who have volunteered for 30 hours or more at the Mayo Clinic Health System
This free program is designed for high school and college students planning to pursue careers as nurse practitioners, physicians, or physician assistants. While not a traditional internship, the program provides an internship-like opportunity to observe professionals and build connections. As a participant, you will shadow professionals in various specialties, including nursing, in a clinical setting. The program begins with a two-hour orientation and then moves on to shadowing opportunities split into eight four-hour shifts during the summer. The program is limited to those who have volunteered at Mayo Clinic; so, following the completion of 30+ hours of volunteer service, you will receive an email with application details for MedEx.
12. KP LAUNCH High School Internship Program
Location: Kaiser Permanente facilities in Northern California
Stipend: $24/hour
Dates: June 15 – July 31
Application deadline: January 9; applications open on November 17.
Eligibility: High school students and graduating seniors, ages 16 – 19 by June 1, who live in Northern California Kaiser Permanente service areas and are authorized to work in the U.S.; priority given to high school juniors and seniors.
The KP LAUNCH High School Internship Program provides students a structured, paid introduction to healthcare operations through non-clinical and administrative roles. You will work full-time in departments such as nursing administration, internal medicine offices, or patient services, focusing on workflow support rather than direct patient care. The program emphasizes professional skill development through weekly workshops covering communication, workplace norms, and career planning in healthcare systems. You will gain exposure to how large integrated health organizations function, including scheduling, documentation processes, and interdepartmental coordination. Mentorship and networking opportunities will help you learn directly from supervisors and senior leaders about healthcare career pathways.
13. Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s (CTSI) 500 Stars Initiative
Location: Varies by CTSI partner site (clinical, research, and community-based settings)
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified)
Dates: June 22 – July 31
Application deadline: February 1
Eligibility: High school students, ages 16 and up, with a minimum 2.5 GPA, and undergraduate and graduate students with a 3.0 GPA
This paid summer internship places you in clinical, translational research, or community health environments affiliated with CTSI regional partners. You will engage in non-credit research training and professional skill development while working alongside clinicians, researchers, and public health professionals. Depending on placement, your work may involve contributing to clinical research workflows, laboratory operations, community health initiatives, or research support infrastructure. The program emphasizes mentorship, career exploration, and understanding how scientific discoveries move from bench to bedside. Across eight weeks, you build foundational skills in health research, professional communication, and community-engaged science within real-world healthcare and research systems.
14. High School Summer Healthcare Immersion Program @ Baptist Health
Location: Baptist Health Education Center, Miami, FL
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: July 27 – 31
Application deadline: February 4
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, ages 16 and up, with reliable transportation to the Baptist Hospital of Miami
This one-week program is designed to introduce you to healthcare career pathways, including nursing, through learning and hands-on simulations at Baptist Health. You will participate in activities, exploring fields in healthcare, medicine, pharmacy, and administration. The program also connects you with healthcare professionals and experts in the field. While not a typical internship, this free program can be an opportunity to engage in hands-on career exploration and plan your next steps in terms of degree programs and professional training paths to explore.
15. Nursing Summer Training and Enrichment Program (Nursing STEP-UP) @ Thomas Jefferson University
Location: Virtual and at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 30 – July 25
Application deadline: May 17
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
This hybrid program introduces you to nursing and its various disciplines through a combination of virtual and in-person sessions. You will attend SAT prep classes virtually Monday through Thursday mornings, with the first week being fully virtual and dedicated to SAT preparation. Then, you will move on to in-person sessions on campus. The curriculum is focused on college application preparation, covering personal statement writing, resume development, classroom and simulation experiences, time management and study skills training, and student mentoring. You will also participate in field trips and scheduled simulation experiences at Jefferson College of Nursing campuses. While not a traditional internship, this fully funded program offers exposure to the field of nursing and support for future academics.
One more option—Horizon Academic Research Program
If you are looking for a competitive mentored research program in medicine, healthcare, and pharmacy, you can consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! It is a selective virtual research program that allows you to engage in advanced research and come up with a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1,000+ high school students so far, offering 600+ research specializations to choose from. You can apply here!ool students so far, offering 600+ research specializations to choose from. You can apply here!
Image Source – Thomas Jefferson University