Healthcare Workforce Partnership 
Western Massachusetts Nursing Collaborative
The Western Massachusetts Nursing Collaborative is a coalition of nurse leaders from education and service focused on the critical role the nursing workforce plays in the delivery of quality care. They are working together to ensure the region has an adequate supply of high quality, diverse nurses to meet the healthcare needs of our community.
Why a Nursing Collaborative?
Registered nurses represent the largest segment of the healthcare workforce. Despite current economic conditions, there is a growing shortage of nurses that is projected to significantly increase in the coming years due to the aging population, nurses retirements.
Since its founding in 2006, the Western MA Nursing Collaborative has been both active and responsive to the region’s changing needs. It remains dedicated to the following goals:
- Increase retention of new nurses in all healthcare settings
- Ensure nurses have the competencies and full scope of practice to meet the health needs of the community
- Increase the diversity of the nursing workforce in western Massachusetts
- Increase the number of nurses in the region with a BSN/BS in nursing or advanced degree
- Increase the supply and diversity of nursing faculty in western Massachusetts
- Sustain the growth and development of the healthcare workforce partnership of western Massachusetts to implement its goals
Awards:
- Organization of Nurse Leaders – MA, RI, NH, CT, VT – Janet Madigan Advocacy Award (2019)
Strategic Plan 2024-2026
Our 2024-2026 Strategic Plan is an aggressive and thoughtful agenda to ensure that high quality healthcare is provided by a well-trained, diverse, and culturally aware workforce.
Nursing Articles, Trainings and other Publications
Office of Health Care Strategy and Planning (OHCSP)
ANA Massachusetts
- Did the COVID-19 pandemic affect the quality of the nursing graduate, as seen through the eyes of nursing schools and healthcare organizations? (WMNC abstract)
- Did the COVID-19 pandemic affect the quality of the nursing graduate, as seen through the eyes of nursing schools and healthcare organizations? (WMNC full report)
National Academy of Medicine
New England Nursing Clinical Faculty and Preceptor Academy
Nursing Council on Workforce Sustainability
Department of Higher Education
- Community College Nursing Scholarship Program (October 2023)
Organization of Nurse Leaders
National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
- The 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey (April 2025)
American Association of College
- Impact of Education on Nursing Practice (April 2023)
New BORN Regulations
- Guidance for Nursing Practice by Graduates and Students in Their Last Semester of Nursing Education Programs (June 2024)
- BORN regs_244cmr6 (January 2023)
DPH Updates
State partners are working closely with DPH to expand the nursing pipeline:
- Executive Order and DPH guidance to allow GRADUATES of nursing programs (who are not yet licensed) to practice nursing during in Their Last Semester of Nursing Education Programs — Authorization Extended (May 31, 2024).
- Executive Order to allow nurses from out of state to be temporarily licensed in MA and extended expired licenses of MA healthcare professionals to continue to practice during the state of emergency.
- Executive Order to Expedite Processing of Reciprocal License Applications Licensure Policy 10-03
Centralized Nursing Clinical Placement System
The Massachusetts Centralized Nursing Clinical Placement System (MCNCPS) is a collaborative project of the Board of Higher Education (BHE) and the Massachusetts Center for Nursing (MCN).
The MCNCPS software, developed by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, is a stand-alone Internet-based software tool designed to facilitate the display, scheduling, and management of clinical nursing education placements between health care organizations and nursing education programs. This system is regionally-based and has been created through the input of regional nursing education and practice leaders from across the state. Visit the website.
Western Massachusetts healthcare facilities and schools involved in the implementation of the Massachusetts Centralized Clinical Placement System streamlined the nursing clinical placements by using the electronic scheduling system and standardized the requirements for clinical rotations in all western Massachusetts healthcare facilities.
Updated: December 3, 2025
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