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Massachusetts, MA | LPN to RN Nursing School Program

Why Enter an LPN to RN Program in Massachusetts?

A job as a Licensed Practical Nurse in Massachusetts can be rewarding. But there are many options for career advancement, including licensure as a Registered Nurse—the largest group of health care practitioners in the United States, and a group that is expected to grow substantially in numbers in the coming years. In Massachusetts cities like Boston, RNs typically make fifty percent more than LPNs, an average of about $73,000 per year (according to BLS.gov), plus benefits. Only one extra year of study is required to move from LPN to RN and reap the benefits of significantly higher wages and increased flexibility and responsibility in the workplace. Therefore, an LPN to RN program in Massachusetts might be worth the effort.

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Registered Nurses are responsible for a much larger range of tasks than LPNs—in fact, they are often their direct superiors. Beyond the management of Licensed Practical Nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants, they assess patient needs and make and manage care plans based on their ongoing evaluations.

While more than half of RN’s work in a hospital, Registered Nurses can also work in a wide range of other settings from doctor’s offices to long term care facilities and public settings such as schools and community centers. In addition, RNs can be community educators with regards to public health, work in mental and occupational health, anesthesia, radiology, maternity and beyond. Indeed, the opportunity for specialization extends to all areas of health care—an enticing factor when deciding whether or not to enter an LPN to RN program in Massachusetts.

How to Enter an LPN to RN Program in Massachusetts

LPN to RN programs in Massachusetts take around a year to complete and are offered both in a traditional classroom and distance education setting. Prerequisites include, predictably, current certification as an LPN and, usually, a year of experience working as an LPN. Required courses build upon those taken during LPN training and include biology, math, chemistry, English, communications, and, of course, are mostly made up of nursing-specific study. And because it adds a year to a LPNs training, an LPN to RN training program in Massachusetts can result in an Associate Degree, Nursing.

LPN to RN students take the RN version of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), which costs $200 from the exam administrator Pearson Vue, along with a $230 application fee paid to Professional Credential Services, the company which holds the contract for nurse licensing in the state. The test adheres to a stricter standard than the NCLEX-PN, but pass rates are still very high—the success rate is above 85 percent. Once received, an RN license requires 15 hours of continuing education for renewal every two years—on even numbered years for RNs—and renewal costs $180.

Although an LPN to RN in Massachusetts provides greater earning potential among other benefits, it is only the second step in nursing training. Once completed, RNs may pursue a Bachelor of Science, Nursing, and after that it is possible to enter graduate programs in both health and education, which lead to even more diverse careers in the education system, public health and beyond.