MILTON, Mass. — A private Massachusetts college that specializes in nursing and healthcare education will shut down its associate-degree nursing program at the end of the year after the state voted last week to pull its approval, officials said.
Labouré College of Healthcare in Milton “failed to correct regulatory deficiencies and comply with directives while on approval with warning status,” the Department of Health and Human Services said.
The withdrawal of the nursing program approval is effective immediately, according to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. The board did note that it will allow currently enrolled students that are scheduled for, and meet all program requirements by December 2023, to complete the program and sit for the national nursing exam.
First-year students enrolled in general education courses may have to find another program at a different school, as Labouré appeals the state’s decision.
“We do not have all the answers yet regarding how you will continue your studies, and we know this remains a stressful situation. Please know that we are working hard to understand BORN’s action and to develop plans that will enable you to continue pursuing your nursing degree,” Labouré said in an email to those students.
The state placed Labouré on warning states in September 2022 after determining that the college doesn’t meet curriculum standards, provide evidence of compliance to Board required policies, provide clinical experiences necessary to meet the student learning outcomes, or provide evidence that data are consistently used to develop, maintain and revise the program, and improve upon an 80 percent pass rate for the national nursing exam, an official said.
A Labouré spokesperson said the school has made improvements and increased its nursing exam pass rate to 81 percent, and that administrators are hopeful they can overturn the board’s decision.
As of right now, the state said Labouré must immediately cease the fall of 2023 and future admissions, enrollment, or transfer of students into the associate-degree nursing education program, in addition to meeting other requirements.
The college remains fully accredited and the decision does not affect any of the school’s other degree programs, the spokesperson said.
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