Registered Nurse Refresher Program: NUR 229

When: NUR229 is offered three times yearly. A new class begins each January, May and September.

Who: RNs who have successfully completed NUR228

What: 4 credit laboratory/clinical course offered as a hybrid (combination of online and face-to-face instruction). It includes a 144 hour precepted clinical experience.

Clinical Placement: All Refreshers are eligible to complete the preceptorship in a medical/surgical environment. If the Refresher has been preveiously employed in a specialty area such as Pediatrics, Obstetrics, Psychiatic/Mental Health, or Critical Care, he/she may complete a preceptorship in that specialty.

How Long: The course requires 180 hours of laboratory/clinical time. The 180 hours is a combination of 36 hours laboratory time on the MCC campus/agency-specific orientation time and 144 hours of clinical time with an RN preceptor at his/her place of employment. Refreshers have 13 weeks to complete the course requirements but may finish earlier depending on how quickly clinical hours are accummulated. The Refresher may choose to work full-time or part-time with his/her preceptor.

NUR229 must be started within one calendar year of completing NUR 228. If more than one year has elapsed since completion of the online theory course, NUR 228 must be repeated.

Preceptorship: Refreshers wanting to do a preceptorship in a hospital in Maricopa County will be directed to an online preceptor placement system called CAPS (Clinical Agency Placement Scheduling). Refreshers wanting to do a preceptorship outside of Maricopa County, or outside of a hospital in Maricopa County, will need to find their own preceptor.

Course Requirements: Prior to starting your preceptorship at the agencies, each student must pass a drug calculations test, a skills knowledge test and demonstrate skills competency. You will need to purchase a Nurse Pack which contains supplies/equipment needed for your skills check-offs. You will also need to download copies of the Preceptorship Handbook for yourself and your healthcare agency. Those handbooks will be available through your online course.

Clinical Requirements: Please refer to the RN Refresher Information Packet for a listing of all program health and safety requirements. Please note, enrollment in NUR229 is contingent upon having met all of the health & safety requirements by the first day of the course.

Please contact Diane Dietz for questions or corrections: ddietz@mesacce.edu