Testimonials
Nursing Internship Program
At IBC
“This experience will make me a better nurse because I’ve had the opportunity to experience a different aspect of health care. I have more knowledge about how insurance companies operate, and because of this will be able to educate my future patients about the wide range of possibilities in benefits with their plans.”
– LaTrina, Villanova University
2009 nurse intern
“While [working as in intern] in the Population Health and Wellness department, I was able to attend health fairs, smoking cessation sessions, a wellness van visit, and a community outreach event. These events have opened my eyes to different opportunities that I [did not] even realize existed. Not only were these experiences eventful, they were also very educational because I was able to see the complex planning that goes into each event and the outcomes that came about. This will help me as a nurse in knowing how to develop care plans for each of my patients that will ensure high standards of care and help their progression to a healthier life.”
– Brittany, Delaware County Community College
2009 nurse intern
“My experiences at IBC have been eye-opening, rewarding, interesting, educational, and completely worth every minute of my time. Before this internship, anything insurance-related was foreign to me. Not only have I been given a behind-the-scenes look at the insurance side of health care, but I have also learned so much about teamwork, collaboration, [and the various] responsibilities and roles [of nurses at IBC]. I am so grateful that I was given this opportunity.”
– Mary, La Salle University
2009 nurse intern
“I know that nursing is a vast field with many options and careers. In school, we don’t get to see the multiple roles that nurses take on [other than] in the hospital setting and school administration. Being able to work alongside nurse case managers provided me another perspective of the versatility of nursing.”
– Rose, Temple University
2009 nurse intern
“I would definitely participate in the IBC Nursing Internship Program again after my experience this summer. I really feel that I gained a valuable wealth of knowledge about a side of health care that is rarely discussed in nursing school. I never realized how much nurses do in health insurance, and in following up with the members after their hospital stay. I also had the chance to interact with such a wide variety of people with different health situations and social situations and had the chance to think on my feet.”
– Rebecca, University of Pennsylvania
2008 nurse intern
“This experience was awesome; it has given me a more global view of health care. I was fascinated by how many nurses [were in] the work force. Every nurse I met loved what [he or she] did and did not miss the clinical setting. That was a real revelation for me. This is one reason I am glad I entered into this field. It is great to know there is a plethora of jobs outside of clinical.”
– Audra, Community College of Philadelphia
2008 nurse intern
“Not only would I recommend this program to other nursing students, I already have. The biggest praise I give to IBC and my supervisors is that I was not treated as an intern but as a peer. Not only did this give me the confidence to recommend a diagnosis that the rest of the patient’s nurses, hospital, PCP, or neurosurgeons had not thought of, it fostered an amazing learning environment [that] helped me pick up the best experience I could during my time here. I am so grateful to my supervisor, nurses I have worked with, and Independence Blue Cross.”
– Melanie, Jefferson School of Nursing
2008 nurse intern
“The IBC Nursing Internship Program has been a unique, educational, and rewarding experience that has opened my eyes to a completely new perspective on nursing. This opportunity has been a great learning experience that I will be able to carry over to my clinical rotations and throughout my nursing career. IBC nurses manage and protect the quality, accessibility, and availability of health care. Furthermore, nurse case managers serve as support systems and advocators of disease prevention and disease management for their members.”
– Amy, Villanova University
2008 nurse intern
“This internship has given me a deeper understanding of how detailed patient care can be. I am impressed by how much the IBC members are cared for and by how much the members need someone to be on their side. I now know more about what happens to a member after...discharge from the hospital, and as a future nurse, I can better anticipate the discharge needs of patients.”
– Deborah, Temple University
2008 nurse intern
At Community Health Clinics
“I chose to become a nurse because I want to make a difference in people’s lives by helping patients to return to or to continue at their optimal level of functioning. This experience as an Independence Blue Cross nursing intern has been fulfilling; as a community nurse I was able to provide health education teaching and quality care to patients who may otherwise not receive adequate healthcare. This experience has really opened my eyes to the need for community nursing and how it has a positive effect on people’s lives.”
– Nakiyah, Widener University
2009 nurse intern assigned to Project H.O.M.E.
“In my internship, I got a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at the health care industry. I can follow each patient’s progression not just from the hospital, but also from the clinic’s view. In the clinic, the focus is more on primary and preventive care. Therefore, I have gained great knowledge on the screenings that each patient needs at a specific age and what that test will provide for that patient.”
– Gary, Holy Family University
2009 nurse intern assigned to Aria Health Center Clinic
“This experience has exposed me to different types of situations, as well as to different types of patients. It has equally added to my experience working in a professional health care environment, thereby increasing and sharpening my nursing skills. I have gained experience in various types of planning and implementation of patient care [that] would definitely be of great benefit to me as a nurse.”
– Akudo, La Salle University
2009 nurse intern assigned to the Children’s Health Clinic (VNA Community Health Services, Inc.)
“I would participate in this internship again because it was a valuable learning experience. I was able to gain more insight into community health clinics and meet many people who became helpful resources for me. Through this experience, I learned the true meaning of teamwork and will be able to apply that in any setting I may find myself in the years to come. This will benefit me as a nurse because it reminds me that I am only one person in a team of healthcare professionals needed to care for a patient”
– Jasmine, Jefferson School of Nursing
2009 nurse intern assigned to Esperanza Health Center
“The skills that I have learned in only ten weeks are skills that are very vital to my nursing career for the rest of my life. This internship reinforced all of the skills from nursing school and more. Here at Project Salud I was able to gain understanding of all age groups and cultures.”
– Michelle, Delaware County Community College
2009 nurse intern assigned to Project Salud of La Comunidad Hispana
“I wish I could have done this every summer. I would highly recommend this to any student who is looking for a way to grow as a nurse. I have met so many amazing people along the way, and my knowledge of nursing and community health has grown. Thank you so much for providing me with this experience.”
– Stephanie, Brandywine School of Nursing
2008 nurse intern, assigned to The Clinic
“The National Nursing Centers Consortium (NNCC) is such a great program that unites lawyers, nurses, people with public health degrees, and outreach workers in reaching the goal of increasing access to health care for people all over the United States. I am proud to work for the NNCC, and I hope that the IBC Nursing Internship Program continues to educate nursing students about what goes on behind the scenes in policy-making, the broad scope of nursing practice, and the great potential that a nurse has to change health care as we know it.”
– Sormeh, University of Pennsylvania
2008 nurse intern, assigned to the National Nursing Centers Consortium
