RN Programs in Massachusetts – Schools, Salary, and License Info

Having studied Medicine in high school, I always have a sense of admiration when it is mentioned to me.

Also, having experienced the feeling of being in service to patients during the practice, I know what it means to be a nurse.

Even if it’s for a few hours.

Though there have been years since I got to live that experience, it is still with me.

However, nowadays, nursing has spread worldwide.

Partly from the necessity, and partly from wanting to be useful to those who are are in need.

As we all know, America is one of the continents where you can easily establish a nursing career.

This time, you can go for a Registered Nurse career in Massachusetts.

With 40 RN schools in its areas, it is a challenge to find the right school there.

But, with the help of this article, you will be able to do so for sure.

Now, finding the right school to study nursing is a matter of having the right criteria in mind in the first place.

This criterion is that the school you apply in should offer licensure.

In Massachusetts, almost 55% of the nurses are continuing their education.

They are being persuaded to do so in the five upcoming years by the state’s incentives offering.

With this occurrence, job opportunities are growing by almost 20%.

In particular, nurses with a BSN degree have more career opportunities.

That means placement options, better salaries, and more diverse opportunities to study other aspects of nursing.

Massachusetts is committed to supporting their nurses in reaching for more.

For RN bridge programs visit:

• RN to BSN Programs in Massachusetts
• RN to MSN Programs in Massachusetts

ADN Programs in Massachusetts

The best way to launch your nursing career is through a fast ADN program.

The Associate Degree in Nursing is available in Massachusetts as well.

It is in fact active with a high school diploma and a competitive GPA.

The beauty of pursuing this degree is that it prepares the candidate for the NCLEX-RN exam, which leads to licensure soon enough.

ADN classes can be accessed in both private and public colleges around Massachusetts.

So, if you’re keen on them, you better start searching.

In total, there are 20 technical and junior colleges in which you can pursue an accredited ADN program.

In them, you will be able to learn quality patient care and health management, through a lot of clinical time.

What to Look For in an ADN Program in Massachusetts

With a set of criteria, you can choose the right ADN School in Massachusetts very easily.

These criteria can be location, tuition, accreditation, licensing, and so on.

Accreditation

The quality of education in a college is depended on its accreditation.

The diploma you earn from a program in Massachusetts colleges, you can apply with pride to future employers.

So, it is the duty of the accrediting agencies to make sure the programs meet these criteria by reviewing the programs offered in them in the long run.

So far, there are three agencies in Massachusetts that accredit colleges.

The first is the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

The other is the Commission for Education in Nursing (AECN).

As well as the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Licensing

Licensing is one of the main criteria for why you choose a particular nursing school.

This criterion in Massachusetts is regulated with the Board of Nursing.

The Board’s role is to review the programs on a regular basis and check if they meet the Board’s criteria.

In particular, students should also check the ADN program in colleges.

They have to check if they match the BON status.

This information can be found in the Education section of the state nursing board’s website.

Program Outcomes

Program outcomes are the main reason for a nursing school to have a high reputation in the state.

The students’ success in the program, during the licensure as well as at work, are some of the key factors that determine the program outcome in general.

In addition to the aforementioned metrics, here are some more factors that students should research:

• Dollars per student spend
• Statistics per Job Entry
• Licensure data (first and more attempts-if more)
• Faculty turnover
• Student salary information

An example of healthcare outcomes in Massachusetts in the Boston College, located in Chestnut Hill.

It is a faculty that offers professional nursing by bettering healthcare outcomes for the entire community.

ADN Program Admission Requirements in Massachusetts

Admission requirements for ADN programs in Massachusetts are like the key to open the door.

If you meet them, you will be able to enter the program, and vice versa.

However, requirements vary from school to school.

But some of the core criteria to help you understand what you’ll need to do to enter the program of your choice have been listed below:

• Students must complete an online application
• Students must submit all administration fees
• Students must submit all official transcripts
• Students must provide SAT and/or ACT test scores
• Students must submit to background screening
• Students must provide evidence of immunizations

Tuition and Costs of ADN Programs in Massachusetts

Tuition and costs are an important thing when it comes to nursing education in Massachusetts.

For this reason, students receive understandable counseling from financial aid administrators and guidance counselors to make payments easy for them.

Apart from tuition, students are asked to make a separate payment of nursing uniforms and equipment, insurance, and housing costs.

So, before attending the school, you should make prior research to these costs as well, in order to afford them all.

The attendance cost for students is outlined in the Bunker Hill Community College.

In-state residents will usually pay $180 per credit.

However, there are secondary fees for students too.

These fees include insurance, parking permit, nursing equipment, textbooks, and housing.

Advantages of ADN Programs

The advantages of going for an ADN degree in Massachusetts are various.

First, it the small class size.

This brings about another secondary advantage which is the community learning environment.

Then, another advantage is also the high number of community colleges in the state.

While, the last, but not least, is the practical part of the studies, which prepares students for work.

*PLEASE NOTE

The following ADN programs have had a withdrawal of approval from the MA Board of Registration in Nursing:

• Quincy College, Associate Degree Registered Nurse Program, Quincy, MA, effective May 9, 2018
• Roxbury Community College, Associate Degree Registered Nurse Program, effective June 12, 2019

LPN to RN Programs in Massachusetts

LPNs in Massachusetts may go for specialized nursing pathways, such as the LPN to RN program.

The essence of these programs is that they are meant to bring LPN graduates to a much more intensive nursing practice in the field.

They also prepare them for the NCLEX-RN exam in the near future.

However, there are other pathways to pursue in the state, such as the LPN to ADN and the LPN to BSN options.

LPN to ADN/BSN Programs

In addition to nursing pathways, there are other recurring ones in the state to check.

The quickest one is the LPN to ADN.

You can obtain this path within a year at the Northern Essex Community College.

The program can be completed in two semesters.

The second pathway to go for is the one that offers a Bachelor’s degree.

I am talking about the LPN to BSN one.

These programs tend to take closer to 2 years to complete.

They can be found in the Fitchburg State University offers an LPN to BSN that requires 120 credits.

Typical admissions requirements for LPN to RN programs in Massachusetts include:

• Active Massachusetts LPN license
• Graduate of an accredited LPN program
• Successful completion of any required exams or prerequisite courses
• Letters of recommendation, resume, etc. may also be required

BSN Programs in Massachusetts

The second nursing degree to go for in Massachusetts in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Being twice longer than the ADN degree, it is worth pursuing because it adds to the professionalism in the nurse’s career.

The degree is also more flexible in terms of job prospects and remuneration process.

The ideal job positions are always held from BSN as soon as they register an MSN degree in the field.

Though Massachusetts is a small state, there are more than 15 BSN degree programs available for students.

What To Look For in a BSN Program in Massachusetts

Since BSN programs are a means of raising both ethical and clinical nursing knowledge, this is a good point to refer to in the entire program.

The program takes 4 years of studies, by the end of which you get prepared and gain a leadership role in the field as well.

In addition, the BSN degree offers a much more theoretical part than the ADN one, so basically, you get to learn more things for nursing in general.

One university to go for a BSN degree in Massachusetts is the Northeastern University’s Bouve College of Health Sciences.

In this university, you will get to learn empathetic, ethical, and competent nursing leadership.

BSN Program Length in Massachusetts

The BSN programs can be completed in 4 years’ time.

With summers off, it is an ideal program in Massachusetts.

However, students may also go for accelerated programs, in which time at university is shorter.

This way, RN candidates may go for the RN to BSN pathway, which can be found in various universities across the state.

While there are also online courses as a more flexible choice for students with a busy life.

BSN Program Admission Requirements in Massachusetts

BSN programs in Massachusetts have their own admission requirements set for a reason.

One of them is for the university offering this type of degree to meet the standards of work.

As well as to help the nursing profession, in general, to bring high-quality nurses for licensure.

Admission criteria are different from institution to institution.

But the most common admission requirements are like the following ones:

• Negative drug screening
• Background screening with no ‘concerns’
• Be a student ‘in good standing’ regarding fees and forms
• Provide proof of immunization
• Official transcripts must reflect a competitive GPA in core courses

Tuition and Costs of BSN Programs in Massachusetts

University costs for BSN degrees are investigated by many students.

The information about cost is made public online on the websites.

In these websites, students may find the cost of tuition, housing, fees, materials, and other additional costs.

The annual tuition cost of a BSN program at Worcester State University is estimated to be $10,000.

However, the cost may vary depending on the student’s lifestyle.

For this reason, students are encouraged to fully investigate their options for financial aid each year.

Advantages of BSN Programs

BSN programs are ideal for graduate students who want to pursue leadership roles in nursing, after having tried first the hospital.

Another advantage of these programs is that they can be completed in four years.

At this time, BSN nurses enter the workforce with added theoretical and technical learning.

And as a result, they are also able to move in their career path as well.

MSN Programs in Massachusetts

The best way to make progress in Nursing is through a higher level of education.

At this point, a Master’s of Science in Nursing is the best idea.

With this degree, students can go for more specialized nursing education in which they can practice the learned skills in both classrooms and at work.

Some of the aspects you can study in this stage are mental health, neonatal health, and teaching.

In Massachusetts, there are five schools offering MSN studies.

The programs are given both online and local.

With this program, students can fulfill both their personal and professional duties as they go by the end of their graduate studies.

MSN Program Length in Massachusetts

MSN programs in Massachusetts take 3 to 5 semesters in total.

Not so long, right?

The classes are divided into two categories.

There are some didactic classes, where learning and teaching lessons are included.

While there are also other clinical ones that depend on the student’s specialty.

With this division, students are encouraged to carefully balance their work and studies in order to meet with success.

MSN Admission Requirements in Massachusetts

MSN programs, just like other undergraduate study programs, have their own admission requirements.

It is the way to accept the right students in the programs.

Therefore, it is necessary to have them.

These requirements change on a yearly basis.

But they also change between different specialties.

But this time, I have listed only the requirements which are common to all of them.

• Application fee (non-refundable)
• Official transcripts in a sealed envelope
• Competitive’ GPA
• Personal Essay
• Resume or CV
• Letters of Recommendation from a professional background
• Ability to practice as an RN in Massachusetts

Tuition and Costs of MSN Programs in Massachusetts

One of the universities that offer a cost of $400 for in-state residents for an MSN program is Fitchburg State University.

This price is valid for 40 credit hours and hundreds of clinical work hours too.

While personal fees and personal and professional equipment and costs of living are calculated separately.

For NP programs visit:

• Massachusetts DNP Programs
• Massachusetts FNP Programs
• Massachusetts Nurse Practitioner Programs
• Massachusetts Post-Graduate Nursing Programs

Getting a Massachusetts Nursing License

Massachusetts nursing licensure regulations either by examination or endorsement require criteria such as:

Candidates should not only complete the application for licensure by examination they must also have:

• Good moral character
• Passport photo- within the past 2 years/signed
• Proof of graduation from a nursing school
• Final official transcripts – submitted by the nursing school
• Registration for NCLEX exam

By endorsement licensure, you must submit/meet the above criteria and submit these additional documents:

• Verification of licensure from the state you’ve obtained it- request form or NURSYS (if applicable)
• Proof of passing score on NCLEX or State Board Test Pool Exam (SBTPE)
• Nurses out of US must complete the CGFNS process

Accelerated Nursing Programs in Massachusetts

Accelerated programs are the last chance to use in all advantages of nursing in Massachusetts.

They take 12 to 18 months to complete, compared to the direct entry one which is 23 to 36 months in total.

Both of the programs offer students the chance to go from a BA degree to a nursing one.

In these programs also, admission criteria vary from one to the other.

However, one thing is common to all of them, that the requirements need to be done before the first day of the program begins properly.

The tuition cost of accelerated programs depends on a few factors.

These factors include prerequisite courses needed, housing, if the program is considered a graduate program, etc.

For other related costs, you can check into your favorite nursing program.

• Massachusetts Accelerated BSN Programs
• Massachusetts Accelerated MSN Programs

Latest Massachusetts NCLEX-RN Pass Rates and Statistics

• Total Number of State Approved Schools: 40
• 2019 Average Statewide Massachusetts NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 92.8%

The Best RN Schools in Massachusetts

The best RN schools in Massachusetts are the ones that work best for students.

In this respect, they’re all good.

However, school choice depends on other factors as well.

Factors such as program choice, place, accreditation, licensing, and so on are crucial.

Check the top-ranked schools in Massachusetts below.

And choose the best one!

RN Salaries in Massachusetts

The more you study, the better salary you will get at work.

That’s certain.

However, RN salaries are impacted by other factors too.

These factors include place, work experience, skills, and similar.

Below you can find the annual RN salary in Massachusetts.

Annual Salary Range:

Regional Salary in Massachusetts

RN Programs by State