PORTLAND, Maine — Earlier this week in Portland, nurses voiced their support of a new bill limiting how many patients they would be asked to care for at hospitals. That call is amid a predicted shortage of more than 1,400 registered nurses in Maine by 2025.
The University of New England recently announced it is fast-tracking its accelerated nursing program to get graduates into the workforce in just 12 months.
Supporting her mom during surgery was life-changing for Kate Smith.
"I was in the recovery room with my mom. I saw all these nurses doing all these different things," Smith said.
Nurses not only care for her mom but also make a personal connection.
"I said I can and want to do this," Smith enthused.
Smith and about two dozen other nursing students are enrolled in UNE's accelerated nursing program. The former human resource manager had to take a number of prerequisite courses, including chemistry, microbiology, and statistics, before being accepted into the 16-month program. UNE is now replacing it with a new 12-month program. Liz Mann is the program's coordinator and instructor.
"They can come in and graduate in 12 months. [It] is incredibly appealing. And they are more often than not willing to put their heads down and do the work," Mann explained.
Donna Hyde, the interim director of UNE's School of Nursing and Population Health, said the program is geared toward people seeking a new career path and to meet a growing demand and replace nurses leaving the field.
"It also helps students get out into that clinical practice that will impact that workforce shortage," Hyde said.
UNE is accepting applications for the accelerated program beginning next May. That's also when Smith is expected to graduate. She hopes to work as a labor and delivery nurse at Maine Medical Center.
Students also get clinical training at Maine Med and South Maine Medical Center, allowing them to watch nurses in action. The program also encourages self-care to deal with a stressful job.
"I feel prepared to go into that and make sure I can manage that burnout," Smith said.
Students in the 12-month program could be at the bedside as early as May of 2025.