This program equips students with the skills needed to begin their careers as entry-level staff nurses in diverse healthcare settings. Through hands-on learning, students master the nursing process to help patients restore or maintain homeostasis when facing common health challenges. Graduates take the National Council Licensure Examination for licensing as a Registered Nurse. 

Program Accreditation

The Associate in Science in Nursing program at Bristol Community College is located at:

777 Elsbree St.

Fall River, MA 02720

800 Purchase St.

New Bedford, MA 02740

It is approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing, 250 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02108-4619, or http://www.mass.gov/dph/boards/rn 

It is fully accredited by Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326 (404) 975-5000.

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the associate nursing program is Continuing Accreditation. View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program at http://www.acenursing.com/accreditedprograms/programsearch.htm 

Program Information

There is one full-time program with two curriculum delivery options:

Traditional - face-to-face classroom learning. 

Hybrid - a combination model with online classroom learning, while exams/assessments, clinical and lab experiences remain in person.

Both options include clinical assignments at a variety of healthcare settings in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  Clinical hours may include days, evenings and/or weekends. Bristol offers a specific hybrid model with clinical hours that are held exclusively in the evenings and/or weekends as well.
Students are required to have successfully completed all pre-admission courses (also referred to as prerequisite courses) prior to admission to the program.
Computer technology is integrated into nursing courses. Computer access is required. 
Students must achieve a minimum “C+” (77) in all nursing (NUR) courses in order to remain in the program and graduate.  Students must pass all co-requisites and electives to remain in the program and graduate.
Applicants with nursing credits from other institutions may receive transfer credit to Bristol's Nursing program. All transfer credits must be approved by the Director of Nursing and Registrar. For transfer credit evaluation, send a syllabus, catalog description, and an official college transcript for each course to Nursing@BristolCC.edu.
For up-to-date program outcomes, visit our website: Nursing | Bristol Community College.

After Bristol

Graduates take the National Council Licensure Examination for Licensing as a Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN).
Graduates typically secure positions in healthcare settings within 12 months of graduation.
Many graduates continue education to complete the RN-to-BSN baccalaureate degree.
Bristol participates in the statewide MassTransfer program and has developed many program-to-program transfer articulation agreements which guarantee admission and credit transfer. For a complete listing of eligible MassTransfer programs, current Bristol articulation agreements, and to complete an A2B Program Search, visit the Transfer Services website to review which credits will be transferred and applied to your degree.

Nursing Student Handbook

All students are expected to review the current Nursing Student Handbook and follow all policies and procedures of the Nursing program. The Nursing Student Handbook is supplemental to the Bristol Community College Student Handbook and the Bristol Community College Code of Conduct. It does not relieve students of the responsibility of reviewing and following overarching policies and guidelines.

Admission Process

The Nursing program is a highly competitive program with selective admission requirements, admitting a limited number of students each year.

The Admissions Office reviews each applicant based on the application requirements listed below. Meeting the minimum criteria places the applicant in the selection pool but does not guarantee admission. Applicants in the selection pool are ranked according to a selective admission GPA (highest to lowest). If two students have the same selective admissions GPA when ranked, the students’ TEAS scores will be used as the secondary ranking criterion. If a third criterion is needed, the student’s date of application will be considered. The Admissions Office notifies the top candidates of acceptance into the program, and the date these candidates have to confirm their acceptance. 

Priority is given to applications submitted by the Priority Application deadline for each applicant type as found within the Health Sciences Admissions Requirements page.

Completed applications received by the Priority Admissions Deadline will be considered in the initial admissions review. Applications received after this date may undergo review if all spaces have not been filled.

NOTE: This process applies to the Fall 2026 application cycle.  Beginning Fall 2027, different ranking criteria for the admission process may be in place.

Application Requirements

There are four categories for entry into the Nursing program: General Applicant, Evening/Weekend Applicant, LPN to RN Bridge Applicant, and LPN to RN Challenge Applicant.  All applicants must meet the following requirements.  Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your application not being reviewed. 

Provide documentation of a high school diploma or a state-approved high school equivalency credential.
Demonstrate successful completion of the following pre-admission (also referred to as prerequisite) courses with a final grade of B- or higher with a combined GPA of 3.2 or higher:

High School Algebra I, equivalent, or higher
High School Chemistry with laboratory component, equivalent, or higher
BIO 233: Anatomy and Physiology I or equivalent
ENG 101: Composition I: College Writing OR ENG 102: Composition II: Writing about Literature
PSY 101: General Psychology, equivalent, or higher
CSS 101: College Success Seminar

Students may retake BIO 233: Anatomy and Physiology I or equivalent only once within a five-year period. The higher grade of the two attempts will be used in GPA calculation.  If a student takes BIO 233 more than twice in a five-year period, only the first two attempts will be considered. Students must complete all pre-admission math and science courses within 5 years of the priority application deadline. 

Transcripts from attendance at other regionally accredited colleges and universities are required when submitting your application.  Please refer to the Admissions page within this catalog for further information.  Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your application not being reviewed for the program to which you applied.  

Additional Requirement for LPN to RN Bridge Applicants

Applicants must provide proof of graduation from one of the LPN programs which have an articulation agreement with Bristol within 3 years of application to Bristol's Nursing program. These include:

Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School 
Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School
Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School
Southeastern Technical Institute
Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School

Applicants must successfully complete a credit for prior learning assessment for NUR 101: Fundamentals of Nursing and NUR 102: Parent-Child Health Nursing.

LPN to RN Challenge

Applicants must be current Licensed Practical Nurses/Licensed Vocational Nurses in good standing who graduated from an accredited LPN program more than three years ago. Applicants must successfully complete a credit for prior learning assessment for NUR 101: Fundamentals of Nursing.

LPN-to-RN Bridge Pathway

This pathway to entry into Bristol's Nursing program is for LPN’s who have graduated within 3 years of priority admission from an LPN program that has an articulation agreement with Bristol Community College.

Students accepted into this pathway must successfully complete a credit for prior learning (CPL) assessment for NUR 101: Fundamentals of Nursing and NUR 102: Parent-Child Health Nursing. This includes assessments of dosage calculations, specialty HESI examinations, and laboratory skills. 

Students are also required to successfully complete the courses or CPL co-requisites before enrolling in their first full-time nursing course, NUR 201: Care of the Adult I:

BIO 234: Human Anatomy and Physiology II or equivalent
PSY 252: Child Development or equivalent

Upon successful completion of the CPL assessment (approximately 6 weeks), the applicant is awarded 16 credits for prior learning for NUR 101: Fundamentals of Nursing and NUR 102: Parent-Child Health Nursing, and is eligible to enroll in the third semester of the nursing program courses, NUR 201: Nursing Care of the Adult I and NUR 100: Introduction to Professional Nursing.

LPN’s who meet the LPN-to-RN Bridge Pathway criteria may be considered for the LPN-to-RN Challenge Pathway if there are no seats available in the Bridge Pathway.

LPN-to-RN Challenge Pathway

Designed for current LPN’s in good standing who have graduated from an accredited LPN program more than three years ago and are looking to challenge out of NUR 101: Fundamentals of Nursing.

Students accepted into this pathway must successfully complete a credit for prior learning (CPL) assessment for NUR 101: Fundamentals of Nursing. This includes assessments of dosage calculations, specialty HESI examinations, and laboratory skills. 

Upon successful completion of the CPL assessment, students are eligible to enroll in the second semester of the nursing program courses  NUR 100: Introduction to Nursing and  NUR 102: Parent-Child Health Nursing.

Additional Requirements Upon Admission

As a prerequisite for a clinical placement in the Nursing program, all students must undergo a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check and a Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) check.  These checks are required due to potential unsupervised contact with children, the disabled, or the elderly during a clinical experience.  Students found to have certain criminal convictions or pending criminal actions will be presumed ineligible for clinical placement.  The College is authorized by the Commonwealth's Department of Criminal Justice to access CORI records.  Sex Offender checks shall be performed pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 6, Sections 178C-178P.

A ten-panel random drug screen is required upon entrance and at random. If there is a need for any re-testing, the fee is paid by the student. 

Please be advised that despite Massachusetts law that permits the use of medical marijuana and the possession, use, distribution and cultivation of marijuana in limited amounts, any possession, use, distribution or cultivation of marijuana remains prohibited under College policy pursuant to federal law. Further, any student who tests positive for marijuana will be ineligible for clinical placement. Please refer to the College's Student Handbook for the College's complete Marijuana Policy. 

Admitted students must comply with Bristol Community College, clinical providers,  and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health requirements for college students participating in in-person classes. Refer to the Student Handbook for specific details.

Compliance with all program requirements as outlined above and in the Student Handbook is a contingency for continuing in the program. It is based on fulfillment of all requirements by specified due dates.

Additional Costs

In addition to course materials, all students are responsible for the cost of uniforms, standardized achievement testing, and the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses fees and associated costs.

Students must carry health insurance throughout their enrollment in the program.

Licensing Information

To be eligible for licensure in Massachusetts, graduates must complete all program requirements for graduation, present satisfactory evidence of “Good Moral Character” as defined by the Board of Registration in Nursing, and pay the required licensure fees. Eligibility for licensure is decided by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. 

Functional Abilities Essential for Nursing Practice

Nursing practice requires specific functional abilities that are met with or without reasonable accommodation. Students will self-attest to their ability to meet the physical and mental criteria of standard professional nursing practice.

Readmission Policy

Students who withdraw or are unsuccessful in a program course are eligible for reinstatement only once, and it must be within three years of their course departure. For further details regarding the Nursing Program Readmission Policy, please review the current Nursing Student Handbook.

Nursing Day Program, Hybrid and Evening/Weekend

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Total credits: 69-70

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