Refresher courses for the 21st century

One hundred eighty-one (n = 181) nurses who completed the Rutgers Nurse Refresher course between the years of 1991 and 1994 were surveyed to determine the outcome of the course in relation to successor return to nursing practice. Of the number of nurses who responded (n = 111), 78 nurses (70.2%) returned to practice as RNs. Nurses who completed the course in 1991 and 1992 had higher employment rates as RNs than those nurses who completed the course in 1993 and 1994. Of the 78 nurses who found employment as RNs, 55 nurses (71%) found employment in other-than-hospital settings. An increase in employment in long-term care and other settings, such an physician offices and school nursing was found when the data were analyzed by setting and year of course completion. Findings of the survey are discussed in relationship to changes in health care delivery as well as recommendations for curriculum revision.