online RN refresher course & advice needed?

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I'm back in the USA. I took a career break for almost 24 months now, travelled the world, just outright travel. Didn't work or volunteer. I used to work in the hospital as a registered nurse for 8 years med surg, tele, stepdown.

it was amazing and I wish I can continue to travel. But it's hard for a nurse to go away for too long in what appears to be a really competitive Job market with not much openings because of budget. I feel like as a nurse, I have to maintain a certain level of competence to work.

i will take a bls and acls course as soon as the next available date. I want to take a refresher course but none falls on the date this month or they are way out of town and requires to be physically present. I'm researching for an online nurse refresher course. Any recommendations?

also any suggestions on how I should prepare or what materials to review? Has a lot changed in hospital nursing from 2 years ago to now. I have my nursing skills book to look at. I went ahead and bought the latest Saunders nclex comprehensive review book to review the summary. And I'll review some common medications used in nursing. Nervous and excited at the same time as i prepare to study and apply for a job after I finish reviewing.

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Well after doing some research online this was the best i could find. $300, and I can start anytime and study on my own. There's no clinical component to it. I wonder if I even need it.

avidhealthedu.com

Return to Nursing: A Refresher Program - ONLINE COURSE

There's other options out there, but they require multiple weeks and with a clinical component to it. I also went to my state board of nursing website:

Review/Refresher Courses

thats how I found avidhealth.

I'll see if I can supplement with Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice: 9781451173543: Medicine & Health Science Books @ Amazon.com

I'll probably give myself a month to review and study before putting in job applications. It's gonna be a busy month.

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Two years doesn't seem long enough to need a paper and pencil review course. You'll probably be a bit rusty on skills, but I bet that will come back fast.

Two years of travel is enough to incite jealousy though. Lucky you!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

If your BON does not require it, you don't need a refresher course. I'm jealous too. When you interview, be sure to highlight everything you learned during your hiatus... emphasize your improved awareness of other cultures' healthcare systems, beliefs, etc. Phrased just right, it will sound like a deliberately planned professional sabbatical - LOL.

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Thanks for the reply. I went ahead and bought Return to Nursing: A Refresher Program - ONLINE COURSE

I went to the California board of nursing and I looked to see if I need a refresher course, i didn't see anything that said I needed it. Therefore I don't need to take it

i'll review it just because and for my own personal sake. it can't hurt. other people have also said I also probably don't need a refresher course, but it's only $300, seems expensive, but it's the cheapest one I could find and accredited by ancc, as well as promoted by sigma theta tau nursing society.

i agree my skills will be rusty and my time management will be off, but hoping I can pick it up really fast when I start orientation and work.

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Hi!

I am wondering how the course was? I am out of clinical practice for many years and want to go back (L&D), and was thinking about taking a refresher class. This is the cheapest one I could find. I was worried it wasn't very good, since the others closer to $1000 and up

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I am interested in reviews of this program as well. Can not find a single review and it seems the program has been around for 10 years. Anyone?

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