Dear Nurse Beth, I am a nurse with 18 years varied experience; pediatric acute care to family practice clinic. I am a military spouse and I was about to go back for my BSN because it appears that is the direction of the nursing field when my dad passed away. I got bogged down with home ownership (of course not in the state I lived) and estate stuff, followed by an overseas duty station. I have not worked in 5 years. We are returning to the US and I am looking at going back to work, probably getting into a BSN program. I do have a current license but not in the state I will be living in. SO, should I invest prior to the BSN thing a nurse refresher course? They are quite an expense and time, delay in starting BSN. I saw mixed reviews about availability, cost, and if they actually do any good on a resume. What are your thoughts? Sorry so wordy! Dear Bogged Down, A refresher course will help update your knowledge and skills and some recommend nursing refresher courses for those who've been out of the workforce 3 years or more. Having said that, there's no guarantee how much it will help you land a job. It really depends on the hiring manager and job market in your area. So you have your ADN and no work experience for 5 years. I would not put off applying for jobs to attend a month-long refresher. If your goal is to start working as soon as possible, start applying for jobs. Consider public health, sub-acute, clinics, perhaps dialysis. Your goal at this point is to get back in the field, even if it's not your dream job. If you absolutely cannot land a job, ask recruiters/hiring managers if taking a refresher course would make you more eligible. Then you'll have your answer. From there you can enroll in a BSN program and work your way back to where you want to be. Best wishes, Nurse Beth 2 Likes
