A 10-year follow-up study: nurse refresher program

A university-based school of nursing has provided a refresher course for inactive nurses since 1980. In 1985, the nursing shortage and declining enrollments in generic nursing schools emphasized the need to return inactive nurses to work. This article describes the 10-year follow-up evaluation of the course with attention to the long-term effectiveness in returning inactive registered nurses to the work force. This study also describes the employment profile of course graduates and the continuing education acquired by respondents since completing the course. Of the 71 respondents, 91% successfully reentered the work force and remained employed in nursing. Nearly half of these individuals were employed in acute care settings. Further, the employment profile of the working graduates showed that 74% had obtained an initial nursing position and remained in it until the time of the follow-up evaluation. Implications of the study and changes planned for the course are also described.