Pursuant to chapter 220 of the acts of 2018, as of November 7, 2018, applicants for initial licensure must complete a one-time course of training and education in the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with cognitive impairments, including, but not limited to, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

There is no prescribed course or number of education hours for this this training.  If you received any training or education in your academic nursing program, through professional staff development, conferences, seminars or continuing education in the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with cognitive impairments including but not limited to, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia at any time then you meet the requirements of the training.  You must complete this requirement by November 7, 2022.

Licensees applying to renew a license must complete the required course by November 7, 2022.

To renew your registered nursing (RN), advanced practice registered nursing (APRN), or licensed practical nurse license, you must attest, under penalty of perjury, to comply with:

To renew an APRN authorization to practice, you must hold a current MA RN license and have a current certification from a Board recognized national professional organization. Refer to 244 CMR 9.04(4) and 244 CMR 4.05.

Because they are connected, APRNs renew their Board authorization to practice as an APRN at the same time they renew their RN license. If, for any reason, you don't intend to renew your APRN authorization, you must complete a Request to remove APRN authorization. Allow 14 days for processing time. Be sure to complete this process before to renewing to avoid paying for APRN authorization because once payment is made, it is non-refundable. Expired APRN does not affect your RN status.

Mandatory Enrollment in MassHealth

Whether you bill MassHealth or not, you still need to enroll as a fully participating provider or as a nonbilling provider. You will be asked to provide your individual National Provider Identifier (NPI) when enrolling.

MGL c. 112, § 80B was amended to include mandatory enrollment in MassHealth for ALL APRNs for the limited purposes of ordering and referring services covered under this program. The mandate includes all certified nurse practitioners (CNPs), psychiatric clinical nurse specialists (PCNSs), clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) without exception. The amendment does not require APRNs to include MassHealth patients in their patient panels. Contact MassHealth if you have any questions.

You cannot practice with an expired license. Once your online renewal process is complete, it is immediately processed and is available for verification at Check a License.

The Board no longer prints or mails paper licenses. The Check a License feature is the most accurate verification of your license and is available 24/7 for you or your employer. See information on Primary Source Verification.