Home to Boston, Harvard, and Plymouth, Massachusetts is without a doubt, a state that is very rich with American culture and full of historical significance. If you are a Bay Stater and are trying to locate information on LPN programs and licensing in Massachusetts, you may find the information on this page helpful.
Information on this page is divided into several sections to help make it more clear. You’ll see various sections that contain general information about schooling, common job duties, Massachusetts-specific certification details, and other information including a list of schools that may have LPN schooling programs (this can be found at the bottom of this page).
Basic Information About Licensed Practical Nursing Educational Programs
Educational programs for LPNs resemble RN programs, only shorter in length. There are some general education courses that may be included, like composition and psychology, but the main subject material is based in the nursing field. Classes may include nutrition, mental health nursing, pharmacology, maternal-child nursing, and medical dosage. Many of these classes may also include labs, where nursing students might get the chance to practice practice skills under the guidance of an instructor before taking them to the real world in clinicals. Clinicals are the portion of a nursing program where students perform supervised nursing duties in the real world, such as at a hospital or another similar medical setting. Generally, the students’ duties will start out light and progress as the student gains more knowledge and skill in the nursing program.
General Job Duties for Massachusetts LPNs
The word “Variety” might be one way to talk about the duties of Licensed Practical Nurses in Massachusetts. Because the LPN job function covers the practical side of nursing, LPNs perform a wide variety of tasks, usually under the supervision of a registered nurse or physician. Bedside care may be a primary component of an LPN’s workday. This function can include dressing and bathing patients, changing bandages, cleaning wounds, and helping with personal hygiene. Another function is monitoring patients’ statuses, which can include taking and reporting vital statistics. This can also include conversing with patients about the their care and hearing any concerns that they may have and reporting those concerns to the supervising medical staff. LPNs may also perform tasks requiring special schooling, as some tasks as so specified that they required an LPN to have specific knowledge of a procedure or understand other information or have certain skills. Some of these special tasks might include administering medication via IV, applying blood and blood products, inserting a catheter, working with IV’s in general, and assisting with dialysis. LPNs may also be called upon to perform other miscellaneous duties, such as helping with insurance paperwork, supervising aides and assistants, and administering oral or injected medication. Many job duties will be specific to where the LPN works; for example, LPNs who work in a hospital NICU may feed and care for infants, which requires a different skill set than doing the same for elderly patients at a nursing home. Other job locations can include doctor’s offices, medical clinics, and home healthcare situations.
Massachusetts – LPN – General Licensing Information
LPNs must be licensed by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing before they can practice in Massachusetts, even if they have been licensed as LPNs in other states. Massachusetts’ requirements for LPN licensing has been summarized below, but for the most accurate and comprehensive information, visit the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing website
No minimum age limit exists for Massachusetts LPNs, but all LPNs must have graduated from a board-approved practical nursing or registered nursing program, and these programs may have minimum age limits or minimum education requirements. Potential LPNs must also have good moral standing and demonstrate proficiency in English if their textbooks or instruction program was not in English. LPN license applicants must also pass the NCLEX-PN; more information on this exam is provided below. Finally, applicants must pay all appropriate fees.
The exam that LPN license applicants must complete the NCLEX-PN. This acronym stands for “National Council Licensure Examination – Practical Nursing.” This is the standard test that people who want to become LPNs need to take. The exam may have up to a couple hundred questions, and there are strict standards for measuring results. The test is timed, and people are generally given up to six hours to finish. This test is generally something that requires a good amount of preparation in order to succeed.
Massachusetts also allows former RN students who dropped out of an RN program while in good standing to pursue LPN licensure. This is allowable if the student completed enough of the RN program to equal what they would have learned in an LPN program.
Colleges in Massachusetts
Read the information below to see a list of different colleges in Massachusetts that may offer a range of LPN programs.
Bunker Hill Community College
250 New Rutherford Avenue, Boston, MA 02129
(617) 228-2000
Cape Cod Community College
2240 Iyannough Road, West Barnstable, MA 02668
(508) 362-2131
Holyoke Community College
303 Homestead Ave, Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 538-7000
Massachusetts Bay Community College
50 Oakland St, Wellesley, MA 02481
(781) 239-3000
Massasoit Community College
49 Union Street, Middleborough, MA 02346
(508) 588-9100
Mount Wachusett Community College
444 Green St, Gardner, MA 01440
(978) 632-6600
North Shore Community College
1 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA 01923
(978) 762-4000
Quincy College
1250 Hancock St, Quincy, MA 02169
(617) 984-1710
Quinsigamond Community College
670 West Boylston Street, Worcester, MA 01606
(508) 853-2300
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