BDN reports on nursing education program between UMaine, Bangor hospital
The Bangor Daily News reported on a new partnership between the University of Maine and Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. The dedicated nursing education unit gives UMaine nursing students the opportunity to look after patients under the supervision of hospital nurses, according to the article. Officials from Northern Light EMMC and UMaine announced the dedicated education unit, which began earlier this fall, at a recent news conference, highlighting it as a part of the solution to Maine’s projected shortage of registered nurses, the article states. The students’ training at the hospital counts toward their coursework requirements, and it helps them become better prepared to join the workforce after graduation, according to Mary Walker, director of the UMaine School of Nursing. “Utilizing the staff from Eastern Maine Medical Center helps us essentially double the number of teachers that we have for students, and using the dedicated education unit allows us to double the clinical experience for the students,” Walker said. “So effectively we can admit more people that we’re able to handle just by ourselves.” WVII (Channel 7) also reported on the news conference announcing the program.