Northeastern University Bouvé College Showcases Expanded Nursing Program Site in Burlington

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On Dec. 5, Northeastern University-Burlington marked the official opening of its expanded Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing site to help fill a dire need for these helping professionals in Massachusetts.

Northeastern’s 16-month ABSN program combines didactic instruction with practical learning that enables students to develop their critical thinking, judgment and clinical skills and with the support and feedback from faculty members.

High-tech human patient simulation experiences enable students to practice and refine their clinical skills, whether inserting an IV or responding to a life-threatening emergency. Building upon this practice, students then apply these skills during clinical rotations at partner healthcare facilities.

The university established its ABSN program in Burlington in 2011 and has graduated 1,759 students.

America and Massachusetts need nurses

The expanded site comes as the nursing shortage is reaching crisis proportions.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 9% growth in the nursing workforce through 2030, with about 194,500 openings each year, on average, over the next decade for registered nurses.

In Massachusetts, the need for nurses and other healthcare workers has been so great that hospitals spent an astounding $1.52 billion in fiscal 2022 to hire travel nurses and other temporary staff, according to a report from the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association.

Despite the need, U.S. nursing schools turned away 91,938 qualified applications from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs due to a lack of faculty, facilities and budget, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.   

Upon completion of the four-semester program, Northeastern ABSN candidates will sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), which nursing school graduates must take and pass to receive the appropriate nurse licensure that allows them to practice the profession. Northeastern University boasts more than a 90% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX exam.

Northeastern’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science Program in Burlington has three start dates: January, May and August. For more information, including the requirements for admission, visit https://absn.northeastern.edu/boston/.

Article from Burlington Buzz