April 16, 2019 | UHCL Staff
Registered nurses whose licenses have lapsed need not look far for a way back to the workplace. Starting June 4, University of Houston-Clear Lake’s Continuing Education program 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 is delivered in a hybrid format that merges face-to-face and online instruction, 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 completion of 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 then enroll them so they can 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 finished, 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. There is a $100 book fee. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/uhcl-nurse-re-entry.
