Nursing - Section 6:  Information on Specific Occupations - A Guide to Healthcare Occupations in Maryland - Military Personnel and Spouses Relocating to Maryland - PROVET

An individual can start a career in nursing as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and then pursue educational requirements for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) or a Registered Nurses (RN). Army and Navy offer nursing training that meets civilian training requirements for different levels of nursing practice. Necessary academic credentials can be obtained while in the military or after separation by using various educational assistance programs offered by the government and by local hospitals.

Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants:

Licensed Practical Nurse/Licensed Vocational Nurse:

Registered Nurse:

The 16 institutions listed below offer variety of training in Nursing. Please check with individual schools to learn more about their programs.

Maryland institutions offering programs in Nursing:

Associate Degree Programs -
Allegany College of Maryland, Anne Arundel Community College, Baltimore City Community College, Carroll Community College, Cecil Community College, Chesapeake College, College of Southern Maryland, Community College of Baltimore County, Frederick Community College, Garrett College, Harford Community College, Hagerstown Community College, Howard Community College, Montgomery College, Prince George's Community College, and Wor-Wic Community College

Private Career School (PCS) Certificate Programs -
Adventist HealthCare: Health Careers Training Center, American Red Cross: Central Maryland Chapter, and Americare School of Allied Health: Silver Spring

Bachelor's Degree Program -
Bowie State University, College of Notre Dame, Coppin State College, Johns Hopkins University, Towson University, Villa Julie College, University of Maryland Baltimore, Columbia Union College, and Salisbury University

Master's Degree Program -
Bowie State University, Coppin State College, Johns Hopkins University, Towson University, University of Maryland Baltimore, and Salisbury University

Certified Nursing Assistant

All nursing assistants must be certified to work in Maryland. The certified nursing assistant certification must be completed prior to or in conjunction with any additional certifications. The following are additional certifications that are specific to State regulation and may appear on the CNA certification card: Geriatric Nursing Assistant (GNA); Home Health Aid (HHA); School Health Aid (SHA); Certified Medicine Aid (CMA); and Dialysis Technician (DT).

Only those persons completing a Board approved training program or its equivalent may be certified as a nursing assistant and use the title Certified Nursing Assistant or the initials CNA after their names. For a listing of the Maryland Board Approved Nursing Assistant Training Programs visit the Education Department page at Maryland Board of Nursing.

Licensed Practical Nurse

Community colleges provide thirteen of the fourteen practical nursing programs in Maryland. These programs are designed to be one year in length once prerequisite courses are completed. Two of the programs are designed to be completed in a total of twelve months.

Registered Nurse

Associate Degree - The fourteen associate degree nursing education programs in Maryland are conducted in community colleges. These programs can be completed in three years and graduates are eligible to take the registered nurse licensing examination (NCLEX). Associate Degree Registered Nurses are prepared to function as care givers in a variety of settings and to work with other health care professionals in planning and implementing comprehensive health care. Academic credits acquired through Associate Degree programs may be transferred to a baccalaureate completion program for Registered Nurses.

Baccalaureate Degree - Eight four-year Colleges and Universities in Maryland offer a baccalaureate degree in nursing. These programs are usually four years in length and provide a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree with a major in nursing upon completion. Graduates are eligible to take the registered nurse licensing examination and, as registered nurses, are prepared to assume positions of leadership and responsibility in a variety of practice settings and to enter graduate school for specialized study.

Articulation Information - A Maryland statewide nursing education articulation agreement exists among all public and some private nursing programs. Under the Maryland Nursing Articulation Model, credits are awarded for transferable nursing and non-nursing courses at the college level. The LPN to RN model awards qualified Practical Nurses a maximum of one year of nursing courses in the program they are entering. The RN to BSN model awards qualified Registered Nurses a minimum of thirty- (30) upper division nursing credits in the program they are entering.

Multistate Licensure Compact

Multistate Licensure Compact allows a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse who is a resident of and licensed in a compact state to practice across in another compact state without having to obtain a license in the other state. Those states that have implemented the compact include Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin. Nurses must have licenses in all non-compact states where they work.

Credentialing Body: Maryland Board of Nursing
4140 Patterson Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21215
410-585-1990

Credentialing fees are covered by the Montgomery GI Bill.

Section 7.  Contact Information

Return to the top of the page

Updated October 6, 2009