15 Free Nursing Internships for High School Students
Nursing and healthcare internships in high school can help you explore the field before college. These programs allow you to gain practical experience in hospitals, clinics, research labs, and community health settings while developing communication, teamwork, and clinical observation skills. Free nursing internships for high school students are especially valuable because you can build your resume, strengthen your college applications, and expand your professional network without taking on high financial costs.
For other healthcare-related internships, check out a list of summer-specific internships here, and find a list of virtual healthcare internships here.
Why should you do a nursing internship in high school?
By participating in a nursing internship, you can also determine whether nursing is the right long-term career path for you. Some programs focus on direct patient interaction, while others emphasize medical research, public health, or healthcare leadership. Because there are many options available nationwide, it can be difficult to identify programs that are both reputable and accessible to high school students. To make your search easier, we narrowed down 15 free nursing internships for high school students based on factors such as selectivity, mentorship quality, hands-on learning opportunities, and institutional reputation.
Below is the list of the 15 best free nursing internships for high school students.
Key takeaways
This list gathers 15 healthcare and nursing-adjacent internships for high school students, spanning major hospital systems, health networks, and academic medical centers, with standout hosts including Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, and Boston Medical Center.
Most of these are free to participate in, and many pay a real stipend or hourly wage, with rates reaching up to $24 an hour at one California-based hospital system, making this one of the more accessible categories for students interested in healthcare.
Most of these are broader hospital or healthcare exposure programs that rotate you through several departments, with nursing as one option among many, so it's worth checking each program's specific track options if a nursing-focused placement is your main goal.
These programs are spread across many states, so nearly all require being local to a specific hospital system, while Ladder remains the only fully virtual, location-independent option on the list.
A few of the earliest deadlines fall in late January and early February for two of the most competitive hospital-based programs, so it's worth starting applications well before spring.
1. Parkview Health High School Internships
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Cost/Stipend: Free; unpaid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective; varies by department placement
Program Dates: One semester
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines vary by placement type
Eligibility: High school students interested in clinical or non-clinical healthcare careers
The Parkview Health High School Internship Program gives you the opportunity to explore nursing and healthcare careers through structured, hands-on experiences in clinical and non-clinical settings. You can participate in in-person, remote, or hybrid internships depending on the department and placement availability. During the program, you may be assigned to a healthcare department or matched to a role that aligns with your interests, allowing you to observe how medical teams operate in real-world healthcare settings. In addition to internships, Parkview offers job shadows, observations, and clinical learning opportunities that help you understand different pathways within healthcare. You also gain exposure to workplace communication, patient interaction, and professional expectations in hospital settings. The semester-long format allows you to build meaningful connections with healthcare professionals while developing skills that can strengthen your future applications to nursing school or college.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Paid program; full financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts offered in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort cycle
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students able to commit 10–20 hours/week for 8–12 weeks
The Ladder Internship Program is a selective remote internship opportunity where you work directly with high-growth startups on real-world projects across industries such as health tech, AI, biotechnology, consulting, and marketing. If you are interested in nursing or healthcare innovation, you can apply to startups operating in medical or health-focused sectors and gain exposure to how healthcare businesses function outside traditional hospital settings. During the internship, you collaborate closely with company managers, contribute to active projects, and present your work to the startup team at the end of the program. The experience is designed to mirror professional work environments, helping you develop communication, research, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Because the program is fully remote, you can participate from anywhere while balancing school commitments
3. CYCE High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Northeast Ohio
Cost/Stipend: Free; paid internship ($15/hour)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: June 8 – July 28
Application Deadline: February 2 (application cycle typically opens in January)
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12, age 15+ by June 1, residing and attending school in eligible Northeast Ohio counties; cumulative GPA of 2.5 or more on a scale of 4.0
The CYCE High School Summer Internship Program offers a highly structured paid healthcare internship where you can explore clinical, non-clinical, or advanced technology career pathways within medicine and healthcare systems. In the clinical track, you gain exposure to areas such as nursing, laboratory medicine, pharmacy, radiology, behavioral health, respiratory care, and physical therapy through real-world workplace experiences. If you are interested in healthcare operations or technology, you can also choose non-clinical or advanced technology tracks focused on healthcare administration, AI, data science, coding, IT, and clinical engineering. During the seven-week program, you work approximately 30 hours per week while participating in professional development activities, orientation sessions, and mentorship opportunities.
4. Medical Career Collaborative (MC2) Program
Location: Denver, Aurora, Broomfield, Highlands Ranch, and Colorado Springs, CO
Cost/Stipend: Free; paid internship
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: Multi-year program beginning in junior year; internships typically completed during high school
Application Deadline: Applications usually open in mid-January annually
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores in the Denver metro or Colorado Springs area who are legally authorized to work in the U.S.
The Medical Career Collaborative (MC2) Program is a healthcare pathway initiative that provides early exposure to medical and nursing careers through internships, mentorship, workshops, and career preparation activities. As part of the program, you complete a 100–120-hour paid internship at Denver Health or Children’s Hospital Colorado, where you are placed within a hospital department and work alongside healthcare professionals. Throughout the experience, you also participate in seminars, field trips, and trainings that introduce you to medical terminology, healthcare systems, and clinical career pathways. Each participant is paired with mentors in healthcare roles such as nursing, therapy, medicine, and emergency care, providing direct insight into the profession.
5. Parkview Student Nurse Program
Location: Northeast Indiana
Cost/Stipend: Free; paid positions with competitive compensation
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: Flexible scheduling throughout the year
Application Deadline: Rolling applications
Eligibility: Nursing students pursuing different stages of nursing education
The Parkview Student Nurse Program is designed to help you transition into the nursing profession through structured training, mentorship, and hands-on clinical experience within a major healthcare system. The program includes multiple pathways—Student Nurse Assistant (STNA), Student Nurse Technician (STNT), and Student Nurse Apprentice (SNAP), of which the STNA is ideal for high schoolers (17 years or older). During the program, you work directly with registered nurse mentors and gain exposure to real patient care environments while learning professional nursing responsibilities. Participants complete over 24 hours of specialized training, including clinical instruction before entering medical floors, helping you build confidence and practical healthcare skills. One of the biggest advantages of this program is its scheduling flexibility, since you can work nights, weekends, holidays, or during school breaks based on your availability
6. Boston Medical Center Junior Summer Volunteer Program (JSVP)
Location: Boston, MA
Cost/Stipend: Free; unpaid volunteer program
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective; approximately 70 students accepted annually
Program Dates: June 29 – August 21
Application Deadline: Typically March
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors able to commit to the full 8-week program
The Boston Medical Center Junior Summer Volunteer Program (JSVP) gives you the opportunity to explore healthcare careers through direct volunteer experience and weekly educational sessions with medical professionals. During the eight-week program, you complete a recurring three-hour volunteer shift each week in outpatient hospital settings such as pediatric clinics, ambassador programs, and community support services. Alongside your volunteer placement, you attend weekly lectures led by healthcare professionals, including nurses, physicians, surgeons, social workers, and healthcare administrators, helping you understand the inner workings of a major hospital system. The program is designed to introduce you to patient care environments and to develop your communication, professionalism, teamwork, and interpersonal skills. Because placements are based on hospital needs and student interests, you gain exposure to different aspects of healthcare and patient support services
7. Baptist Health Observer Program
Location: Baptist Health hospitals and clinics, South Florida
Cost/Stipend: Free; unpaid observership
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective; depends on clinician sponsorship availability
Program Dates: Year-round; duration ranges from one day to four weeks
Application Deadline: Rolling applications accepted throughout the year
Eligibility: Students and professionals ages 16+ who secure a sponsoring clinician
The Baptist Health Observer Program is a clinical shadowing opportunity that allows you to observe healthcare professionals in real medical environments across Baptist Health hospitals and clinics in South Florida. During the observership, you follow physicians and healthcare staff to better understand patient care workflows, hospital operations, and specialty-specific clinical practices. Rather than focusing on hands-on medical training, the program emphasizes professional communication, patient privacy standards, teamwork, and care coordination in fast-paced clinical settings. Because the program is flexible in duration, you can tailor your experience to explore a particular healthcare field or nursing specialty that interests you most.
8. Hawaii Pacific Health Careers Summer Internship
Location: Oahu and Kauai, Hawaii
Cost/Stipend: Free; paid internship
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: Mid-June to late July (6 weeks)
Application Deadline: Applications typically close earlier in the year
Eligibility: High school juniors, seniors, and college students
The Hawaii Pacific Health Careers Summer Internship is a six-week paid program that allows you to gain firsthand exposure to the healthcare industry through placements across Hawaii Pacific Health’s medical centers and clinics. During the internship, you explore a wide range of healthcare careers, including nursing, rehabilitation services, imaging, information technology, and other hospital-based specialties. You work closely with healthcare professionals, observe clinical environments, and learn how different departments collaborate to deliver patient care within large healthcare systems. The program also offers opportunities to shadow doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals and to ask questions about career pathways, work-life balance, and medical specialties. Because internships take place within major medical centers such as Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children and Straub Benioff Medical Center, you gain insight into real hospital operations and patient care settings.
9. Norton Healthcare High School Academy Program
Location: Louisville, KY
Cost/Stipend: Free; paid employee-based internship
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: Ongoing during the academic year
Application Deadline: Varies annually
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors aged 17+ interested in healthcare careers
The Norton Healthcare High School Academy Program is a career exploration and workforce development initiative that allows you to gain direct experience in healthcare settings while still in high school. As part of the program, you are hired as an employee and begin with system-wide orientation and training before working in roles such as patient care associate, pharmacy technician, or medical group staff member. During the internship, you gain hands-on exposure to patient care settings through activities such as electronic medical record charting, assisting healthcare teams, and interacting with patients and families. In addition to workplace experience, the program includes job shadowing opportunities, clinical symposiums, career exploration activities, and professional mentorship from Norton Healthcare staff.
10. Dartmouth Hitchcock High School Foundations Summer Internship Program
Location: Lebanon, NH
Cost/Stipend: Free; paid internship
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application Deadline: Typically March
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors, age 16+, local or regional to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center & Clinics
The Dartmouth Hitchcock High School Foundations Summer Internship Program is a seven-week paid healthcare internship that combines workplace experience, mentoring, and professional development into a structured summer learning opportunity. During the program, you work full-time in host departments across the medical center while learning how different healthcare teams contribute to patient care and hospital operations. One of the program’s standout features is its rotational internship model, which allows you to explore two to three departments throughout the summer, including radiology, pharmacy, perioperative services, medical laboratories, and inpatient administration. Alongside your work placements, you participate in workshops focused on communication, teamwork, empathy, initiative, problem-solving, and other essential workplace skills.
11. University of Kentucky Careers in Health Care Internship Program (UK CHIP)
Location: Lexington, KY
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective; open to students from partner high schools
Program Dates: August – May
Application Deadline: Varies by school partnership cycle
Eligibility: High school students from participating Kentucky partner schools
The University of Kentucky Careers in Healthcare Internship Program (UK CHIP) is a year-long immersive healthcare experience that introduces you to a wide range of medical and nursing career pathways through structured clinical rotations and mentorship. Hosted through the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and UK HealthCare, the program allows you to rotate through disciplines such as nursing, radiology, pharmacy, medicine, and physical therapy while observing how healthcare teams collaborate in patient care settings. Throughout the academic year, you attend educational sessions led by faculty members, physicians, and advanced practice providers who help you understand real-world healthcare systems and professional expectations. The internship emphasizes critical thinking, compassion, professionalism, and interprofessional teamwork, giving you a realistic view of modern healthcare environments.
12. Mayo Clinic Health System Medical Experience (MedEx) Program
Location: Mayo Clinic Health System locations
Cost/Stipend: Free; unpaid shadowing program
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: Summer observations conducted June–August
Application Deadline: Applications accepted April 1–30
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors age 16+ who meet volunteer or employment requirements
The Mayo Clinic Health System Medical Experience (MedEx) Program is a clinical shadowing opportunity that allows you to explore healthcare careers by observing professionals in real medical settings. During the summer program, you shadow nurse practitioners, physicians, physician assistants, and other healthcare providers across different specialties to better understand patient care and clinical workflows. The experience is designed for students seriously considering careers in nursing, medicine, or advanced healthcare practice, providing direct exposure to healthcare settings before college. One of the program’s distinguishing features is its emphasis on prior service and commitment, as applicants must first complete substantial volunteer hours or work experience within Mayo Clinic Health System.
13. UK King’s Daughters Nursing Boot Camp
Location: Ashland, KY
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: Summer
Application Deadline: Varies annually
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors age 16+ with parental consent for minors
The UK King’s Daughters Nursing Boot Camp is a healthcare career exploration program that introduces you to the nursing profession through hands-on learning activities, career discussions, and educational workshops. During the program, you explore different nursing specialties and gain insight into the day-to-day responsibilities of nurses working in healthcare environments. You also learn about nursing education pathways, required technical and interpersonal skills, and the academic preparation needed to succeed in the profession. While participants do not provide direct patient care, the boot camp offers valuable exposure to healthcare systems, clinical communication, and nursing career options through interactive experiences and professional guidance. The program is designed to help you better understand whether nursing aligns with your long-term interests before applying to college or nursing school. In addition to the boot camp, students can participate in the One-Stop Nursing Shop event, which connects aspiring nurses with nursing schools, healthcare representatives, and career resources.
14. Kaiser Permanente KP LAUNCH High School Internship Program
Location: Northern California Kaiser Permanente locations
Cost/Stipend: Free; paid internship ($24/hour)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: June 15 – July 31
Application Deadline: Applications typically open in November and close in January
Eligibility: High school students ages 16–19 living in eligible Northern California service areas
The Kaiser Permanente KP LAUNCH High School Internship Program is a seven-week summer internship that introduces you to healthcare careers through professional work experiences in hospital and administrative environments. During the program, you work full-time alongside healthcare professionals while participating in projects that expose you to areas such as nursing, internal medicine, patient care services, and healthcare administration. Although interns do not perform direct medical procedures, the program helps you understand how healthcare systems operate and how different departments collaborate to support patient care. In addition to your workplace responsibilities, you attend weekly professional development workshops focused on communication, leadership, teamwork, and career readiness. The internship also provides mentorship opportunities and networking events where you can interact with supervisors, healthcare staff, peers, and senior leaders within Kaiser Permanente.
15. 500 Stars Initiative
Location: Southeast Wisconsin
Cost/Stipend: Free; paid summer internship
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: 8-week summer program
Application Deadline: Varies annually
Eligibility: High school students aged 16+ with a minimum 2.5 GPA and interest in health science careers
The 500 Stars Initiative is a paid summer internship program that provides hands-on training and career exploration opportunities in clinical and translational sciences. During the eight-week program, you work with Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) partners in settings such as research labs, clinical care environments, community health sites, and healthcare support programs. The internship is designed to expose you to real-world healthcare and biomedical science experiences while helping you build technical, professional, and communication skills. In addition to workplace training, you receive mentorship, career development guidance, and educational workshops that help you better understand pathways into healthcare and scientific careers. You will also have opportunities to engage with researchers, clinicians, and other healthcare professionals as you learn how medical research translates into patient care and community health improvements.
Questions students often ask about these internships
1. Do I need prior healthcare experience to apply to these nursing internships?
No, most of these are designed to introduce healthcare careers from the ground up, so no prior experience is expected. A couple of the more selective programs do favor students with some volunteer background, so it's worth checking eligibility closely.
2. Most of these programs cover general healthcare rather than nursing specifically. How do I find one focused just on nursing?
Look closely at each program's track or rotation options, since a couple explicitly offer a nursing-specific pathway while most rotate you through several departments. If a dedicated nursing focus matters most, prioritize those two over the general hospital exposure programs.
3. Do I need to already live near a specific hospital system to apply to these internships?
Yes, most of these require being local to the hospital system's service area since they involve in-person clinical or hospital settings. Ladder remains the one fully remote option if relocating isn't feasible for your situation.