Registered nurses can reactivate lapsed licenses with UHCL courses

Registered nurses with lapsed licenses can easily find their way back into the workplace. Starting March 25, the Continuing Education program through University of Houston-Clear Lake's College of Human Sciences and Humanities is offering courses that will help nurses who have been away from a medical work setting for four years or more to reactivate their RN license and relaunch their careers.

"These courses are designed to give registered nurses updated knowledge in theory and clinical practice to meet the Texas Board of Nursing requirements for reactivation," said Assistant Professor of Nursing and Nursing Program Director Karen Alexander. "This course not only reactivates the license, it returns highly qualified nurses into the workplace."

Alexander said that it is not possible for registered nurses to reactivate their licenses without these courses.

She said that course one, which is delivered in a hybrid format that merges face-to-face and online instruction, begins with refresher information in areas including concepts of adult medical-surgical care, pharmacology, medication administration, standards of practice, and ethics.

"The second course begins with simulation and culminates in completion of 80 hours of direct clinical care delivery, with a nurse preceptor in one of the area hospitals that is in partnership with us," she said. "There are many vitally needed registered nurses who may be working in other jobs or not at all simply because their licenses have lapsed. Completing these courses helps meet the ever-increasing healthcare demand for excellent nurses with active licenses in our area."

Alexander said there are very few such programs for registered nurses in the Houston-Galveston area. "Because of the lack of availability for this program near here, we are partnering with Austin Community College as well. We can take Austin students who have completed the first didactic course, and then enroll them so they can finish the second clinical course here at UHCL," she said. "We can find a hospital to place these students to complete their precepted clinicals more easily here."

She said that once the courses have been completed, and the completion paperwork has been submitted to the Texas Board of Nursing, the license will likely be reactivated within the timeline provided by the board.

"Successful completion of the courses means nurses can go back into practice very quickly," she said. "At UHCL, job placement for registered nurses is very high. Because these students are doing their clinical refresher hours at various local hospitals, it's an opportunity for them to demonstrate their previous and newly-acquired skills and to network. They can return to the workforce to deliver quality and effective care very quickly.

The fee for the courses is $1100. There is a $100 book fee. For more information, go online.