[StayHomeMom]

Anyone please help with your advice.
In my short time as a new member of allnurses community and reading great thoughts and ideas from fellow nurses, I think I came to a light bulb moment as Oprah would say, of what I really need to do first if I want to transition myself back to the career I love and had to give up for a time.
So can anyone suggest how I go about finding a professional refresher course. which one is better online or location?
I live in Northwest Indiana, had been out of practice for 10 years, but kept my RN lisence current if there's anything good about my whole situation.
Thanks to anyone who can help.
Tasse

[SandraJean]

Hi. Have you checked into any community colleges in your area? Or, maybe you could contact your state's board of nursing; they might have a listing of schools that offer a refresher course. I took one from a local community college. It met for one afternoon a week for a couple months, then had about four clinicals, two in long term care facilities and two in a hospital. The clinicals were scary, but good for me. I didn't even think about doing something online, guess I wanted to do some clinicals. Good luck to you!

[KarryRN]

Hi, I am also thinking of taking a refresher course and am not sure which is better an online one or a regular one. They both have clinicals. Have you checked your state board of nursing? They should have a list of all the refresher courses. Good luck in finding a course that will work for you.

[Daytonite]

I know that the California Board of Nursing lists the schools that offer RN refresher courses on their web site. You might check with your state board of nursing as well. Otherwise, try calling the nursing offices at the colleges that have nursing programs because they are going to be the most likely organizations offering these kinds of courses. Another thing you can do is call around to a couple of nurse recruiters at the larger hospitals in your area and see if they can give you some information about refresher courses. You might get a line on a potential job for after you finish a refresher course. Sometimes a large hospital will offer these courses as a way to recruit nurses to work for them upon completion of the course. You could also attend a nursing job fair, make the rounds of the various hospital representatives (most will be nurse recruiters) and ask them. Good luck.

[StayHomeMom]

Thanks everyone for the tips. I can use everyone of them.. I think I prefer actual classroom set up. I probably have less discipline with myself online.

[lwb]

I have been looking for similar information. Might I suggest another option. If your state board of nursing accepts this option there is a refresher course you complete online (100 hours). After satisfactorily passing a written (proctored) exam, you arrange a clinical experience with a facility you think you would like to work. You are required to have an preceptor and complete a skills checklist. The number of hours required depends on your state. It is quite flexible as you do this at a location near you. For more information contact the North Dakota Nurses Association www.ndna.org/. Their refresher course is accepted by many different states. I believe there is a similar program through the South Dakota Nurses Association. Good luck.