September 4, 2019 | UHCL Staff
Registered nurses whose licenses have lapsed need not look far for a way back to the workplace. Starting January 21, 2020, University of Houston-Clear Lake is offering courses that will help nurses who have been away from the nursing workplace for four years or more to reactivate their RN license and relaunch their careers.
“These courses are designed to give registered nurses updated knowledge in theory and clinical practice to meet the Texas Board of Nursing requirements for reactivation,” said Karen Alexander, assistant professor nursing and director of the nursing program. “This course not only reactivates the license, but it returns highly qualified nurses to the workforce.”
She added that it is not possible for a registered nurse to reactivate his or her license without these courses.
Alexander said that course one, which will be delivered at UHCL Pearland on Tuesdays and Thursdays in a face-to-face format, begins with refresher information in areas including concepts of adult medical-surgical care, pharmacology, medication administration, standards of practice and ethics.
“The second course begins with simulation and culminates in the nurse to complete 80 hours of direct clinical care delivery, with a nurse preceptor in one of the area hospitals that is in partnership with us,” she said. “There are many vitally needed registered nurses who may be working in other jobs or not at all simply because their licenses have lapsed. Completing these courses helps meet the ever-increasing healthcare demand for excellent nurses with active licenses in our area.”
Alexander said there are very few such programs for registered nurses in the Houston-Galveston area. “Because of the lack of availability for this program in this area, we are partnering with Austin Community College as well. We can take Austin students who have completed the first didactic course, and they can enroll and finish the second clinical course at UH-Clear Lake,” she said. “We can find a hospital to place these students to complete their precepted clinicals more easily here.”
She said that once the courses have been completed, and the completion paperwork is submitted to the Texas Board of Nursing the license will likely be reactivated within the timeline provided by the board.
“Successful completion of the courses means nurses can go back into practice very quickly,” she said. “At UHCL, job placement for registered nurses is very high. Because these students are doing their clinical refresher hours at various local hospitals, it’s an opportunity for them to demonstrate their previous and newly-acquired skills and to network. They can return to the workforce to deliver quality and effective care very quickly.”
The fee for the first course is $750, and for the second course is $350. Students will order a specially priced bundle of textbooks using a code to be provided at the point of registration. In addition, thanks to a generous contribution from the Community Foundation of Brazoria County, students residing in Brazoria County will be awarded partial scholarships upon proof of residency.
Learn more about UHCL's RN-to-BSN degree program online. Register for the Nursing Re-Entry Courses online.
