top of page
Mountain Sunset

About the RN Reentry Program

The RN Reentry program is meant to help nurses who are presently ineligible for reinstatement of their license to regain licensure so that they can return to the healthcare workforce. Foothills AHEC has been approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing (GBON) to provide the individualized combination of 40 hours of self-study relevant to nursing and a regionally-based clinical practicum of 160 hours of supervised clinical nursing practice. The 40 hours of self-study also provides 40 hours of certified continuing nursing education (CNE) credit.

Eligibility Requirements

  • RNs who wish to reinstate their lapsed GA nursing license by completing a required Board-approved reentry program

  • RNs who have an active GA nursing license but have not practiced recently and wish to refresh their knowledge base and/or nursing skills in preparation to reenter the nursing profession in a clinical setting

  • RNs who have an active nursing license in another state but need to complete a required Board-approved reentry program to apply for a GA license

  • All candidates must be previously or currently U.S.-licensed RNs with U.S. hospital experience within their nursing program and/or 6 months or more of practice as an RN in the U.S.

  • All candidates must be living in Foothills AHEC's 31-county service area to enroll. Find your county on this Georgia Statewide AHEC Network map to determine which AHEC can assist you.

Program Cost

  • The full program is $1200, which can be paid in two equal payments.

    • The first payment of $600 is collected when the self-study modules are issued.

    • The second payment of $600 is collected prior to beginning supervised clinical practice.

  • The partial program of 40 hours of self-study modules providing relevant continuing nursing education (CNE) is $600.

  • There are other fees associated with the program:​

    • immunizations

    • physical exam

    • malpractice insurance

    • AHA CPR training

    • background check

    • GBON application fee

    • scrubs and stethoscope for supervised clinical nursing practice

Program Requirements

  • Completion of two program components:

    • 40 hours of didactic, self-study modules which must be completed within 2 weeks of the date issued 

    • A minimum of 160 hours of supervised clinical practice completed over the course of 1-3 months

  • ​The 40 hours of self-study modules must be completed before beginning the 160 hours of supervised clinical nursing practice.

  • Before the supervised clinical nursing practice begins, the applicant must provide documentation of the following to the RN Re-entry Coordinator:

    • a physical examination within the past 6 months indicating a good state of health

    • a PPD skin test or chest x-ray, as appropriate, within the past 12 months (some facilities may require two PPDs or proof of a negative PPD for 2 consecutive years)

    • a tetanus/diptheria booster within the past 10 years

    • a completed hepatitis B immunization series

    • immunization for MMR (or rubella-titer), polio, DPT, and varicella virus

    • American Heart Association CPR for Healthcare Providers certification

    • active malpractice liability insurance ($1,000,000 each incident; $3,000,000 aggregate)

    • active accidental health insurance (medical coverage)​

 

This is a list of basic program requirements. There may be other requirements for securing an agreement with a new clinical facility.

How to Apply

  • Submit an application for licensure to the Georgia Board of Nursing (GBON).

    • Download the appropriate application from the GBON website (Licensure by Endorsement vs. Reinstatement).

    • Complete the application and state that you intend to enroll in Foothills AHEC's board-approved RN Reentry Program. 

    • Submit the completed application and required fee to GBON.

    • If your name has changed, include a copy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order.​

  •  After a response is received from GBON, schedule a meeting with the RN Reentry Program Coordinator to develop a program completion plan.

  • The RN Reentry Program Coordinator will provide a letter to GBON outlining the reentry program completion plan consisting of 40 hours of study and 160 hours of supervised nursing practice (including Form A and clinical schedule).

  • After the program completion plan is approved by GBON, a temporary license valid for 6 months will be issued to the enrollee. The program must be completed within 6 months of receiving the temporary license. 

bottom of page