LEWISTON — The Central Maine Medical Center College of Nursing and Health Professions (CMMC CONHP) is offering a redesigned review course for registered nurses. The RN Re-entry into Practice course is intended for RNs who have been out of practice for at least five years, but is open to all RNs.

Although CONHP has offered the RN refresher course for more than 17 years, this year the course was redesigned as an online program featuring the “most up-to-date learning technology,” said coordinator Nancy Wright, RN. “It has interactive case studies and skills videos. The patient will tell you she has chest pain, you click to administer nitroglycerin, and then she’ll tell you she feels better.”

Wright said the course is for the registered nurse who suspended her practice, whether to care for young children or ailing parents or for other reasons. It is also pertinent to the RN who works in a one field, like psychiatric nursing, but wishes to try working in another area, like medical-surgical nursing. “This course is helpful, and sometimes required, for getting a job,” Wright said.

Wright redesigned the course as the capstone project for her doctoral degree. She graduated with a doctor of nursing practice degree from Northeastern University in Boston in December 2010.

The student may progress at his or her own pace, at any time of day at home. The course has a medical-surgical focus, and takes approximately 320 hours to complete. The student must be computer literate and have access to a computer with a high-speed Internet connection. The student is awarded a certificate upon successful completion.

CMMC CONHP offers associate in applied science degrees in nursing, radiologic technology and nuclear medicine technology. Graduates who pass national certification exams become registered nurses, radiologic technologists, nuclear medicine technologists or CT technologists. More information is available at cmmccollege.edu or call 795-2840.