University of Maine System to announce Sept. 12 a plan to increase nursing enrollment

Chancellor James H. Page and the Presidents of the University of Maine System campuses will announce a five-year nursing workforce plan that aims to double nursing enrollment and bring nursing education into high-need, rural Maine communities at the Maine Council on Aging’s 5th Annual Wisdom Summit in Augusta at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 12.

WHERE: Main Auditorium, Augusta Civic Center, 76 Community Drive, Augusta, Maine, Maine Council on Aging’s 5th Annual Wisdom Summit.

WHEN:   12:30 PM, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018

FACEBOOK LIVE: The University of Maine System Facebook Page will stream the announcement live. Media outlets, community partners and health care organizations are encouraged to share the stream.  

PRE-INTERVIEWS: Campus or nursing program leaders will be available to conduct embargoed interviews with media outlets in Bangor, Portland and Presque Isle before the announcement pursuant to an embargo agreement that ends at noon Wednesday, Sept. 12.

BACKGROUND: Maine faces a nursing workforce crisis that is projected to grow to 3,200 vacant nursing positions across the state by 2025. Nursing leaders have set a goal of graduating an additional 400 license-eligible nursing students each year as part of the strategy to address the shortage.

The University of Maine System, which has been a partner in leading the state response, has been increasing nursing enrollment but must make investments and expand nursing education capacity to help meet Maine’s need for new nurses.