Finding my way to RN Refresher

Now that I decided to go back into nursing, how do I do that? When I worked in nursing almost 20 years ago I was reluctant to let anyone know that I was a nurse. The phone would ring nonstop with people trying to recruit me. Now, I used the computer daily to complete several on line applications but I did not get a response. I applied to travel nurses and called Nurse Contractors. People looked at my CV and saw that I had not done bedside nursing in some time and did not call.
 

One recruiter told me that I needed a PPD test, recent CPR certification, and a competency test that their company offered. I took the Provider CPR course offered through the Red Cross ($70). I got a PPD test from an urgent care location ($35). I went to the recruiter’s office, took the competency test and passed. I sat back and waited for the phone to ring. Nothing! I called the recruiter and he said jobs were few in this economy but they were trying to find me something.
 

I decided to take an Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) class. The course cost $170. The cost was painful since I was out of work. However, I could deduct the cost on my taxes. I took the course and it boosted my confidence. I could still read the cardiac strips and make good judgments on treatments. I had not forgotten everything I knew. Well OK, I had to study the material again and some things had changed but I could still do the work.
 

Surely the ACLS certification would give me the edge I needed to get a nursing job. After all, my RN was current. I may not have been doing bedside nursing but I never left the medical field. Working in clinical research, I stayed current on all the latest medications and treatments.

The only offers I got were out of state and I did not want to move. I just did not know what to do. I called one of the hospitals and asked to speak to someone in HR. They advised to take the RN Refresher course but also warned that did not ensure a job.
 

I was lucky; there are several Universities and schools in my area. I found several offerings on line but I did not know which to take as all the schools meant a great deal of time on the road. Finally, I called the Board of Nursing. They were very helpful and advised me to take a course that was developed for returning nurses. They gave me phone numbers and contact information.
 

I called Wake AHEC, an affiliate of WakeMed and the University of North Carolina Area Health Education Centers. I paid $100 for orientation. There were other people just like me trying to find their way back into nursing. Wake AHEC offered a correspondence course through the University of North Carolina. Preparation was under way to make the course an on-line course. However, I wanted to do the course while I could still get a hard copy of the course material. We would have 9 months to complete the course. We could get an extension if we requested in writing. There were 23 modules in the course with a test at the end of each module. A passing grade of 85% was required on each module. I left orientation and drove that very day to the university. On 29OCT2009, I signed up for the Wake AHEC RN Refresher course for the bargain price of $480.
 

At last after three months without work, I found the road or the direction that I needed to return to a career in nursing, I hope. I could hardly wait to start the course.