Council Recommendations
Clinical Placements Committee
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Transforming Nursing Clinical Placements: Standardization and Innovation for Massachusetts (January 2025)To ensure an available and prepared nursing workforce, academic institutions must consistently graduate nurses who are workforce-ready. This requires an academic pipeline that is accessible to students, offers robust support, and minimizes administrative and procedural barriers that could hinder timely progress through their studies
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Clinical Placements Committee Proposal for the Massachusetts Centralized Clinical Placement Management System and Clinical Placement Processes (December 2023)Recommends enhancements to the current computerized clinical placement system in Massachusetts and changes in clinical placement processes across the commonwealth. Provided a framework and budget for implementation of proposed changes to the system. Council voted to adopt this recommendation, and it was released to stakeholders, including the Department of Higher Education and the Board of Higher Education. The recommendation has been presented at numerous organizational meetings and forums and has received wide support for implementation.
- CNEcl Application Instructions_.pdf
- CNEcl Application Instructions_FINAL_.pdf
- CNEclWebsitepic.PNG
Data & Research Committee
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Data Sources for Factors Impacting Nurse Retention (February 2024)Links out to more than 25 sources that provide data on key factors that impact nurse retention across five different domains, including compensation, work environments, and well-being.
Faculty & Education Committee
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Clinical & Lab Faculty Recommendations (November 2023)Details a funding proposal to support 500 faculty members pursuing professional certifications (CNE-cL & CHSE) and provides data on the number of part- and full-time faculty and the number of faculty on waivers for academic year 2018-19 and academic year 2021-22.
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Massachusetts Nurse Faculty Salary Recommendations (December 2023)Outlines and makes recommendations to decrease the disparity in compensation between clinical nurses and nursing faculty. This recommendation was a key component in a budgetary request to offer retention bonuses to Massachusetts faculty.
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Massachusetts Nurse Educator Scholar Program (MANES) Recommendations (December 2023)Proposes the creation of a program to fund individuals seeking advanced degrees in nursing education with the commitment to teach as nurse faculty in Massachusetts to address the 30% decline in nursing faculty.
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Faculty Shortage Information Brief (September 2023)Overview of the main factors contributing to nursing faculty vacancies across the state, including low wages compared to clinical positions and a lack of incentives for preceptors and mentors. Identifies numerous potential solutions to address the shortage, including programs utilized in other states.
Policy & Practice Committee
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Recommendations Regarding Massachusetts’ Entry in the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (December 2023)Defines the enhanced nurse licensure compact and the potential outcomes of Massachusetts entering it. Key stakeholders have utilized this recommendation to advocate for the Nurse Licensure Compact. Additionally, the NFSNWC recognized the work nationally.
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Recommendations for Medication Administration (March 2024)An examination of the Massachusetts Medication Administration Technician program was undertaken, and key recommendations were made regarding its expansion into other areas and the potential impacts of the proposal on patient safety and nursing care standards. This recommendation served as a basis for the proposed Advanced Health Care Aide program.
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Exploring the Role: Understanding the Scope of LPN Practice in Massachusetts (June 2024)Many in the healthcare field do not understand the pivotal role that practical nurses play in the delivery of healthcare especially to underrepresented populations. This recommendation serves to not only inform regarding the role of practical nurses in Massachusetts but also examines the scope of practice as determined by the Massachusetts Nurse Practice Act and if changes to this are needed to better facilitate the role of licensed practical nurses.
Simulation & Technology Committee
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Recommendation to Fund the CHSE Certification for Nursing Simulation Instructors (November 2024)Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) certification was a measure that the Simulation and Technology Committee recommended as a standard for simulation instructors across the commonwealth. This recommendation reflects a formal request for funding for the CHSE certification and validates this certification as a method to improve simulation instruction for healthcare programs across the commonwealth.
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Recommendations for Increasing Simulation to Address the Nursing Workforce Shortage in the Commonwealth (June 2024)Recognizing the significance of simulation in nursing education, the Simulation Committee endeavored to assess its current usage throughout the commonwealth. The committee administered a survey late in 2023 to all participants of the centralized clinical placement system to gauge their familiarity with running effective simulation experiences and resources to support simulation at their nursing program. Simulation subject matter experts who participated in the committee reviewed the survey findings, identifying key trends and data points as well as identified evidence-based practices in simulation. This recommendation is the expansive work of this committee and makes key recommendations for enhancing the quality of simulation education in the commonwealth.
Student Pipeline Committee
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Enhanced Nursing Scholarship Recommendations (December 2023)Describes several key recommendations aimed at reducing or eliminating barriers for students pursuing nursing education. The framework established in these recommendations is being utilized to craft wrap-around services for students within the commonwealth. The focus on healthcare organization and academic partnerships was recognized nationally by NFSNWC.
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Recommendation to Address Shortage of Nurse Practitioner Preceptors (December 2023)Details a plan to help support preceptors for nurse practitioners, which is key to addressing the primary care crisis in Massachusetts. The work has been developed into a robust plan to address the preceptor shortage. This recommendation received national attention as a key presentation at the NFSNWC Conference in June 2024.
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Recommendations for Articulation Agreements between Educational Institutions for Nursing Students in the Commonwealth (June 2024)Due to the need to educate more registered nurses in Massachusetts, this recommendation examined the barriers related to articulation of nursing course credit to achieve higher nursing degrees (LPN, ADN, BSN, etc.). This recommendation considers the strengths and limitations of the existing position statement on educational mobility for nurses and highlights the need to bolster participation with the Nurse Education Transfer Compact (NETC). Recommendations were made to expand both the NETC and the utilization of the MassTransfer system.
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Strengthening the Licensed Practical Nurse Pipeline in Massachusetts: Structural Recommendations (January 2025)Nursing care is a cornerstone of quality, evidence-based, and patient-centered healthcare. Nurses serve in a wide range of settings and specialties, reflecting the diversity of their roles. While registered nurses (RNs) represent the largest segment of the nursing workforce in the United States, licensed practical nurses (LPNs)—also known as practical nurses (PNs) or licensed vocational nurses (LVNs)—form the second largest group.
Workforce Capacity Committee
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Eliminating Administrative Barriers to Enhance the Transition of Internationally Educated and Trained Nurses into Nursing Practice within Massachusetts (January 2025)Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) play a vital and expanding role in the nursing workforce, both nationally and within Massachusetts. For the purposes of this recommendation, IENs are defined as nurses who have completed their education and training outside of the United States and seek to continue their nursing careers here.
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Recommendations for Solutions to Address Workplace Violence in Massachusetts Healthcare Facilities (June 2024)Describes the alarming trend of increasing violence towards healthcare professionals since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and provides potential solutions to curb this trend, including increasing training on things like de-escalation strategies, and highlights the two main bills before the Massachusetts legislature related to workplace violence.