Returning nurses to the workforce: developing an online refresher course

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• A significant nursing shortage necessitates the return of unemployed nurses to practice.
• Traditional refresher courses in classroom settings present accessibility and cost barriers, particularly for geographically dispersed nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the challenges of cost and access in nursing refresher education.
• To explore the potential of collaborative distance education using web-based instruction.

Main Methods:

• Investigated the feasibility of web-based instruction for nursing refresher courses.
• Focused on collaborative distance education models.

Main Results:

• Web-based distance education offers a viable solution to overcome geographical and financial limitations.
• This approach enhances accessibility and cost-effectiveness for nursing continuing education.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative, web-based distance education is a promising strategy to support nurse reentry.
• This model can effectively expand educational opportunities for nurses needing to refresh their skills.