Nurse Re-Entry

The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), with the support of the Georgia Board of Nursing (GBON), has developed two pathways to reenter the high-demand field of nursing in the state of Georgia:

A Registered Nurses (RNs) Re-entry Program, and
A Practical Nurses (PNs) Re-entry Program

Both the RN and LPN re-entry programs, approved by the GBON, provide the individualized combination of 40 hours of independent online study (delivered via Blackboard) and 160 hours of clinical study required by the Board for reinstatement of licensure as a registered professional nurse.

These nurse re-entry programs are designed for those nurses who are presently ineligible for reinstatement of their license because the license has lapsed or has been inactive. Nurses who have active licenses returning to direct patient care who have not worked in the clinical area for some time may also benefit from this program.

WHO DOES THIS APPLY TO?

RNs and LPNs who have an active GA nursing license but have not practiced nursing for four or more years and want to refresh their knowledge base and nursing skills in preparation to reenter the nursing profession in a clinical setting
RNs and LPNs who want to reinstate their GA nursing license by completing a required Board-approved re-entry/refresher program
RNs and LPNs who have an active nursing license in another state but need to complete a required Board approved reentry/refresher program to apply for a GA nursing license

REQUIREMENTS

The 40 hours of study relevant to nursing must be completed before beginning the 160 hours of supervised clinical study. Upon completion of the 160 hours of clinical study, verification of this will be sent to the Board to support the reinstatement of RN or LPN licensure. Before the clinical time begins, the applicant must provide the following information to the RN Re-entry Coordinator:

A physical examination within the past six months indicating a good state of health
Documentation of a 2-step TB skin test unless documentation is provided of annual TB skin testing or documentation of a negative Quantiferon or TSpot test. If past history of positive TB skin test, then a chest x-ray within the past 12 months (some facilities may require 6 months) with results within normal limits is required.
MMR -Two doses or documentation of positive Measles, Mumps and Rubella titers.
Documentation of Tdap within the last 10 years. Td alone is not sufficient.
Varicella Vaccination two doses, or documented history of Chicken Pox disease or Varicella titer.
Current American Heart Association BLS for Healthcare Providers
Active malpractice liability insurance ($1,000,000 each incident, $4,000,000 aggregate).
Active accidental health insurance (medical coverage)
Complete the Hepatitis B Series or show proof of immunity.
May be other requirements based on the institution’s policies and procedures.