Nursing

Nursing combines science and the art of working with people.

Nurses are integrally involved in the lives of their clients, helping them to maximize their health and cope with illness. Nurses perform multiple roles in the care of their clients. Not only do they provide hands-on care, they also act as educators, counselors, coordinators and conciliators.

Using scientific knowledge and technical skills, nurses continually assess the physical, emotional and social status of their clients. Nurses work with clients and their families to devise plans of care for each situation. As they continually monitor client progress, they make important decisions about appropriate methods to deal with problems.

Save the Date! Mandatory Orientation for those students accepted into the Practical Nursing, ADN or Bridge programs (not for pre-LPN or pre-Nursing students)

Tuesday, August 13, 2024 from 8AM-4PM: In-Person on BCC's main campus (no virtual at all this year)

This is noted on all acceptance letters. More information will follow after a student has received their acceptance letter into either the Practical Nursing Certificate, Associate Degree in Nursing or the Education Mobility (Bridge) program. This is not an orientation for students working on eligiblity and who are currently in pre-nursing or pre-LPN. This is only for students who have applied for matriculation and have been accepted into the actual Practical Nursing or ADN/Bridge programs.

Steps to Apply

  • How to apply for matriculation into one of BCC's nursing programs:
    1. Apply to BCC as either a pre-LPN (Practical Nursing) or pre-Nursing (Associate Degree in Nursing leading to RN licensure) student, if not already an active BCC student.
      • Note: All students, regardless of eligibility to our nursing programs, must first be accepted to the college itself before applying for matriculation into a nursing program.
    2. Apply for financial aid, if not already completed
    3. Send all official high school/GED/HiSET, AP scores (if applicable), and college transcripts (if applicable) to BCC's Admissions Office.
      • Note: Any international transcripts will need to be evaluated and translated by a NACES approved organization such as SpanTran or WES.
      • Students may need to take the Accuplacer in math/reading/writing depending on high school graduation an/dor if they don't have college composition and/or college math completed. Contact testing@berkshirecc.edu to set up an Accuplacer exam date/time.
    4. Once steps 1-3 have been completed, schedule an advising/registration appointment by contacting onestop@berkshirecc.edu or calling (413) 499-4660 in order for an advisor to review college transcripts, if applicable, and to assist with registration for classes needed to meet eligibilty (pre and co-requisite courses).
    5. Review and complete eligibility requirements as indicated on the intended program's specific website page. Each program will have their own requirements and step-by-step procedures listed.
    6. Schedule a meeting with one of the nursing academic counselors to determine eligiblity to apply for matriculation
    7. Attend a Mandatory Matriculation Meeting for the program to which you plan to apply
      • Note: Students must attend one mandatory matriculation meeting for the program to which they plan to apply, otherwise, the application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.
    8. Complete and sign the specific nursing matriculation application and submit (along with all required documents) to Nursing Admissions by the established deadlines for the intended program
      View matriculation applications and deadlines

Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) Talent Pipeline Program

  • Apply to the BHS Talent Pipeline Program

    BHS is offering BCC program applicants a Talent Pipeline Program.

    BHS is offering students, who are admitted into the Practical Nursing (PN), Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN), or the Bridge (LPN to ADN) program, a 40-hour benefitted position as a CNA (for PN and ADN students) or LPN (for Bridge students) in which they only have to work 16 hours/week during their respective program (while receiving 40 hours of pay weekly).

    Students will be expected to work full time during breaks and during the summer (if applicable). In return, students will be required to work at BHS in one of their facilities for a specified amount of time, depending on their program.

    BHS will be leading this program and determining acceptance to this program.

    Contact Us

    Please contact Courtney Warren at BHS for more information and an application:
    cwarren@bhs1.org
    413-447-2738
    BHS Human Resource Department
    742 North St.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201

Practical Nurse (Certificate)

Licensed Practical Nurses are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, home care, clinics, health centers, physicians' offices and the military.

Practical Nurse

Nursing (A.S.)

Nursing combines science and the art of working with people. Nurses are integrally involved in the lives of clients, helping them to maximize their health and cope with illness.

Associate Degree Nursing

LPN to ADN

Registered nurses (RNs) are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, home care, clinics, health centers, physicians' offices and the military

LPN to ADN

Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN)

Students who have completed their ADN may then transition to a BSN. BCC has a working relationship with several colleges who offer the BSN, such as UMass Amherst, Elms College, Westfield State University, and SNHU, among others. A student can complete 75% or 90 credits towards most BSN degrees right here at Berkshire Community College.

For more information about ADN to BSN opportunities, please reach out to:

Katie Polchlopek, Associate Professor & Coordinator of ADN to BSN Advising
kpolchlopekberkshirecc.edu
Hawthorne Hall 409
413-236-4642

For additional information about the ADN to BSN click here.

Mandatory Matriculation Meeting (formerly videos) - for those students ready to apply for matriculation into a nursing program

Attending a (choose one) Mandatory Matriculation Meeting (in-person and on-campus) is required for any student who thinks they have met or are about to meet the eligibility requirements to apply for matriculation into one of BCC's nursing programs (PN, ADN, Bridge). Please refer to the respective program website pages for admission and eligibility requirements. Students must fill out the form below indicating which date they plan to attend for the respective program they wish to apply. An email confirmation will be sent once you submit the form. All nursing applicants MUST attend one mandatory matriculation meeting in order to be eligible to apply (assuming all other eligibility requirements have been met, as well).

Sign up HERE for an in-person, on-campus mandatory matriculation meeting. IMPORTANT: Please do NOT submit the matriculation application until AFTER attending this mandatory on-campus meeting.

Application Deadlines

ADN Program
  • Fall 2024: Extended deadline to June 1, 2024 (original deadline: February 1, 2024) applications can be submitted between Dec 1, 2023 - June 1, 2024
  • Spring 2025: Sept. 1, 2024 - applications can be submitted between July 1 - Sept 1, 2024
PN Program
  • Fall 2024: August 1, 2024 - applications can be submitted between Dec 1, 2023 - August 1, 2024
LPN-ADN Bridge
  • Fall 2024: June 1, 2024 - applications can be submitted between Dec. 1, 2023 - June 1, 2024
  • Spring 2025: Nov. 1, 2024 - applications can be submitted between Aug 1 - Nov. 1, 2024

Nursing Forms

Matriculation

See acceptable submission dates above under application deadlines

ADN Program
PN Program
LPN-ADN Bridge

Immunization

Basic Life Support CPR for Healthcare Providers at Berkshire Community College

Read about CPR training at BCC

Nursing offers diversity in roles and settings, a wide range of career paths, employment opportunities and competitive salaries. People are attracted to nursing by the focus on caring, flexibility of working schedules and challenges to excel within the profession. RNs are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, home care, clinics, health centers, physicians' offices and the military. BCC's nursing program is a sequence of lecture, skills, laboratory and clinical courses. Graduates are eligible to take the licensing examination to become registered nurses (RNs).