How to Re-enter the Nursing Profession?

Answer 1

If you are a nurse returning to the workforce after a period of absence, it is necessary to take some Registered Nursing or Licensed Vocational Nursing refresher courses. This way, you will re-enter the workforce feeling confident and ready to move forward in your career.

Many nurses take years off to raise a family. But when the family is grown, they wish to return to the nursing profession and continue to progress in their vocation. A returning nurse may feel intimidated and overwhelmed with the influx of medical technology she must now be proficient at. The goal of any educational organization for returning nurses is to enable them to become proficient in their prior nursing skills and equipped to utilize the newest medical technology.

Starting Point

First on your agenda should be to conduct research on the options available to you. You should look for an accredited educational provider dedicated to enabling nurses to re-enter the workforce. Make sure that the educational program you select is equipped to bring you current on modern nursing technology. Your state will have competency and theory requirements that you must pass, depending upon the amount of time that you have been away from nursing.

Program Structure

Nearly every re-entry program will begin with a theory portion that you can complete online. An education site should have a faculty member who is available to answer questions and clarify information. You will also be required to engage in a lab where you will refresh your mental/physical skills. This type of lab usually lasts for one work day.

Your clinical practice skills will be assessed, depending upon the number of years that have lapsed since last working in the nursing profession. For example, you may need to complete 90 hours of supervised clinical performance if you have been out of nursing for over five years and not more than 10. States will vary in their requirements.

Certificates and Examinations

In every state, you will be required to update your I.V. and CPR certificates before you can re-enter the nursing workforce. Classes are offered in both disciplines with proficiency testing at the end of the classes. Last in every nursing re-entry program is a predictor examination. This will be the same examination in every state of the U.S. and is mandatory in nursing license renewal.