Paper
Saturday, 22 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Work Environment Strategies and Models
Returning Nurses to the Workforce: An Evaluation of an RN Refresher Course
Marilyn D. Klakovich, DNSc, RN, CNAA, School of Nursing, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA, USA and Zarmine Naccashian, RN, MN, GNP, CDE, School of Nursing Department of Continuing Education, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA, USA.
Learning Objective #1: Identify strategies for enhancing RN refresher programs.
Learning Objective #2: Describe methods for marketing refresher programs to attract reentry nurses.
Objective: This study examined the effectiveness of a nurse refresher course offered through the continuing education department in a school of nursing. Aspects investigated included the nurse refresher students’ reasons for returning to nursing, ratings of the effectiveness of their preparation following course completion, and their employment history including how satisfied they were with positions obtained after course completion.
Background: This refresher course aims to prepare nurses to return to clinical practice after an extended period of absence. Given the severity and duration of the current nursing shortage, it is imperative that refresher courses meet the needs of those nurses who desire a return to practice.
Methods:  A mailed survey was administered to nurses who completed the course more than 6 months but less than 7 years prior. The survey was developed by Hawley and Foley (2004) and adapted with permission following a pilot test on eleven current refresher students.
Results: Of the 114 surveys mailed, 21 returned undeliverable while 27 completed surveys were obtained for a response rate of 29%. The nurses had been employed a mean of 24 months with a 4.52 mean job satisfaction rating (on a 5-point scale). They valued the support they received from the instructors and other students, but desired more hands-on experience and variety in the clinical experiences provided.
Implications: The successful reemployment and high levels of job satisfaction in this sample suggest that the pool of nurses who are not currently working is a valuable resource to tap. Findings can be used to develop marketing strategies to target returning nurses, and to enhance refresher courses to more specifically meet their needs. 
Recommendations: Future studies should compare the effectiveness of nurses completing refresher programs with varying lengths of clinical experience. Alternative delivery methods such as online or self-study didactic components merit further study.

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