UNC’s Nurse Refresher Program offers a self-paced course for previously licensed nurses to renew their ability to practice in North Carolina. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NC AHEC, the Friday Center, and the UNC School of Nursing sought to make the NC RN Refresher Course more accessible, offering the course as an accelerated program and waved tuition.
The response was tremendous, and 189 nurses throughout NC enrolled.
This success of the program was documented by the team: SON Associate Professor Jennie Wagner, EdD, RN, MSN, CNE, AHEC Nursing Liaison and SON Assistant Professor Mary E. Schuler, EdD, RN, CNE, AHEC Education Specialist Kathryn Fitzpatrick, MSN, RN-BC, and Associate Director of Programs, William & Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education, Michael Cain, BS, published an article titled “Experienced Nurses in North Carolina Recruited to Combat COVID-19,” outlining the success of the updated offering.
Mike Cain and Hilary Culbertson of UNC-Chapel Hill Digital and Lifelong Learning also recently presented about the Accelerated RN Refresher Program at the UPCEA Annual Conference.