For those registered through ACC, the record keeping system at Austin Community College is designed to generate grades and certificates within a week of completion date as published in the schedule. For Virtual College of Texas (VCT) students grades are sent to the college with which they registered upon completion of the course and that college generates their certificate of satisfactory completion. Early completion is not recommended. The 128 hour course is designed to be completed in 16 weeks.

The expectation is that nurses will move through the course spending more time concentrating in areas of self-identified weakness, so the course is self-paced to allow the individual to spend more time in some areas and less in others. There would need to be a compelling need to convince both the instructor for the class and the course coordinator that a particular individual would benefit from early completion.

It can be done, but it is difficult. The Texas Board of Nursing (BON) provides two avenues for completion of the clinical preceptorship. For those choosing the extended orientation option in which the nurse independently arranges the preceptorship, the BON would need to advise as to whether or not the individual would be required to complete the course prior to beginning the clinical placement.

For VCT students it is necessary to discuss this question with their college of registration. For those who are registered with ACC and plan to take the ACC preceptorship course (RNSG 1060 or VNSG 1060), requirements include: completion of the first three units of the course, passing both days of skills lab (RNSG 2022), and completion of an extensive application prior to registering for the preceptorship.

For more information download and read the Preceptorship Manual located in the "Student" area of the website: http://nurserefresher.austincc.edu.

Those who register for a clinical course at ACC or any of the other colleges which offer the Nurse Refresher Program will be placed by the college in a facility with which the particular college has an agreement or contract. For those who elect or have no other option than the extended orientation, finding a place is problematic. Neither the BON nor ACC is able to offer suggestions concerning particular sites. The BON does offer guidelines for extended orientations. The course coordinator at ACC offers a fact sheet about extended orientations.

If the aim of the program is to obtain an active nursing license the nurse should have a good idea of how the preceptorship is to be completed by the time the on line course is started. Those enrolled in ACC or in VCT colleges which offer preceptorship courses will probably plan to take the available course. Nurses who have chosen or are forced to take the extended orientation option would do well to have already made an agreement with a clinical facility for a preceptorship.

The temporary permit is issued by the BON for the purpose of beginning and completing a learning experience where the returning nurse is guided and supervised by an experienced nurse (nurse preceptor). Since the temporary permit is good for only 6 months it is important that the permit be applied for only after the nurse has a good idea of when the preceptorship might begin. Either a temporary permit or an active license is required as part of the application at ACC for the preceptorship.

The 16 hour skills lab (RNSG 2022) offered by ACC is not required in order to successfully complete the on-line course. It is required before applying for the Preceptorship course at ACC. It is conducted on two successive Saturdays at ACC's Eastview campus from 9am-Spm, a few weeks in to the 16 week on line course. Day one must be completed before day two. There is no provision for make-up if a day is missed. The course is offered once or twice a semester. Students who are registered through the Virtual College of Texas must check with their home college concerning skills labs.

The ACC skills lab is only required of students who are planning to register for the ACC preceptorship course (RNSG1060 or VNSG1060). Those who are planning to complete the preceptorship with other Community Colleges need to receive direction about skills lab from that school. Those who are planning extended orientations should check the Board of Nursing website for guidance.