Return to nursing or reactivate your license with NC AHEC’s RN refresher program.

Effective October 2024, the NC AHEC RN Refresher Program has been revamped and is now available at a new, lower price. Upgrade your skills and reignite your passion for nursing!

If you’re a registered nurse with a lapsed license over five years, or an active RN looking to update your knowledge, NC AHEC’s RN Refresher Program is here to help. We’re committed to helping more nurses return to the field, opening a variety of career pathways, and investing in your commitment to improve the state of healthcare across North Carolina. 

We offer a flexible program, approved by the NC Board of Nursing, that can meet your busy schedule! The program consists of 24 self-paced, online modules and a 140-hour clinical practicum managed by your local AHEC. For RNs with an active license who are simply seeking to refresh their knowledge, the clinical practicum is optional. 

“The whole experience was a tremendous boost in my confidence with knowing that I am very capable of practicing clinical care even after a few years off raising a family.”

 – Sarah

---

RN Refresher Program Contacts

Contact the RN refresher coordinator at the regional AHEC for your county to obtain more information and to determine program eligibility in your region.

Orange, Durham, Chatman, and Person counties

Porshia Mizzelle
Program Assistant/Senior Support Specialist
Email: rnrefresher@unc.edu

Area L AHEC

Counties Served: Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, Northampton, Wilson
Patty Collins, MAEd, BSN, RN
Email: Patty.Collins@arealahec.org
Phone: 252-972-6958

South Piedmont AHEC

Formerly known as Charlotte AHEC

Counties Served: Anson, Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Stanly, Union
Kathryn Fitzpatrick, DNP, RN
Email: kathryn.fitzpatrick@atriumhealth.org
Phone: 704-512-6579

Eastern AHEC

Counties: Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Greene, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, Washington, Wayne
Pam Bowman, MSN, RN
Email: bowmanp23@ecu.edu
Phone: 252-744-5216

Piedmont AHEC

Formerly known as Greensboro AHEC

Counties Served: Alamance, Caswell, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham
Shawn Houck, MSN, RN
Email: shawn.houck@conehealth.com
Phone: 336-832-3947

Mountain AHEC 

Counties Served: Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Yancey
Bethany Davis, PhD, MSN-ED, RN
Email: bdavis3@unc.edu 
Phone: 919-843-4976

Northwest AHEC

Counties Served: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Iredell, Rowan, Stokes, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin
Ellen M. Hohf, MSN, RN, CHSE
Email: ehohf@wakehealth.edu
Phone: 336-713-7720

South East AHEC 

Counties Served: Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, New Hanover, Pender
Betty Merritt, MSN, RN
Email: betty.merritt@seahec.net
Phone: 910-667-9298

Southern Regional AHEC

Counties Served: Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Robeson, Richmond, Sampson, Scotland
Tonja Teter BSN, RN
Email: Tonja.Teter@sr-ahec.org
Phone: 910-678-7246

Wake AHEC

Counties Served: Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Lee, Vance, Wake, Warren
Kathy Clark MS, BSN, RN
Email: kgclark@wakeahec.org
Phone: 919-350-0481

---

Program Options

RN Refresher Track 1: Online course and clinical practicum. This track is designed for registered nurses who have an active or inactive license and have been out of clinical practice for an extended period.

• Administrative fee (paid to the regional AHEC): $125
• Online course tuition (paid to South Piedmont AHEC): $675
• Clinical fee (paid to the AHEC where your clinical practicum is administered): $250

Please note for Option 1, you will incur additional charges that include, but are not limited to, malpractice insurance and fees for a health screening, criminal background check, and a drug screening. Please feel free to discuss these charges with your AHEC regional coordinator.

RN Refresher Track 2: Online course only. This track is for nurses who live outside of North Carolina, those not seeking license reactivation, or those with an active North Carolina license who are comfortable with delivering clinical care.

• Administrative fee (paid to the regional AHEC): $125
• Course tuition (paid to South Piedmont AHEC): $675

This program is a collaborative effort between NC AHEC and the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Nursing.