Nursing Program News

The University of Maine at Fort Kent Alumni Association will host its Homecoming Brunch at 11 a.m. on Sunday, September 24, 2023, at the Sports Center during the University’s annual Homecoming Weekend.

The brunch tickets are $10 per person. The public is encouraged to attend the Homecoming Brunch.

At the brunch, the Alumni Association will honor and recognize the 2023 Outstanding UMFK Alumni Award recipient, Dr. Rachel E. Albert, from the graduating class of 1985.

The selection as this year’s Outstanding Alumni is based upon a nomination received, “Dr. Rachel E. Albert embraces her roles of teaching, scholarship, service, and practice wholeheartedly. While Dr. Albert excels in so many areas, she strives for continuous improvement, always reflecting and examining her own efforts and setting new professional goals. Her commitment to the success of UMFK’s nursing students is invaluable. Further, she is committed to the success of UMFK’s nursing program and campus as a whole. Her contributions to the nursing program are substantial and outstanding.”

In addition to her many years of dedicated service to the campus community academically, Dr. Albert held administrative positions, such as Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of Faculty, and Executive Director of Planning and Assessment, to name a few. Continuous commitments and contributions to the St. John Valley, Aroostook County, and the state of Maine, such as being a member of the Leadership Team for Closing the Gap, Social Determinants of Health Acceleration Plan; Chair and member of the steering committee of the Aroostook Public Health Council; Board Member of Fish River Rural Health; corporator for Northern Light Health; and team leader and evaluator for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Dr. Albert graduated from UMFK, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing in 1990 and a Ph.D. in Nursing Science in 2001.

She has over 30 years of experience in higher education at UMFK. Currently, Dr. Rachel E. Albert is a Professor of Nursing and Allied Health and teaches undergraduate and graduate online courses in Healthcare Research and Evidenced-Based Practice, Transcultural Nursing, Ethics and the Law, Integrative Nursing Practice, Ethical Leadership, and Global Health.

During the brunch, the alumni present from the following classes will be recognized: 1943, 1953, 1963, 1973, 1983, 1993, 2003, and 2013.

You may purchase your ticket(s) online through the Homecoming Events Registration page or by contacting Shannon Lugdon at (207) 834-7800 or by email at shannon.lugdon@maine.edu.

Deadline to purchase tickets is Friday, September 8, 2023.

The Alumni Association is pleased to welcome you to the UMFK campus for the 2023 Homecoming Weekend taking place on September 22nd – 24th. We hope you will also join us on the UMFK campus for a weekend of celebration and fun activities that include UMFK Bengals soccer and volleyball games and special events. All alumni, students, family, friends, and community members are invited to attend.

On Friday, May 5, 2023, one hundred seventy-one University of Maine at Fort Kent nursing students graduated from the program, with twenty-eight of them attending the 39th annual UMFK Nurse Pinning Ceremony at the Sports Center on the UMFK campus.

The following BSN students received their nursing pins: Ayoola O. Ayeni (Bowling Green, KY); Kasie Blanchette (Madawaska); Mykayla J. Bresett (Van Buren); Jerranecia N. Caddell (Bridgewater, ME); Gaële Chery (Fort Kent); Olga Danilichav (Madawaska); Elizabeth L. Dufresne (Saint David); Amanda L. Godwin (Milo, ME); Sylvie L. Guimond (Fort Kent); Desiree A. Hall (Linneus, ME); Temidayo Itabiyi (Richmond, TX); Megan R. Jandreau (Wallagrass); Kalusha N. Kotes (Fort Kent); Keri La (Daly, CA); Susan E. LaVerdiere (Newcastle, ME); Leacroft Lettman, Jr. (Fort Kent); Kailtyn E. Martin (Madawaska); Desiree G. Mayo (Winthrop, ME); Elise M. MCKay (Levant, ME); Sarah J. Muhl (Alfred, ME); Nnenna Nwankho (Manchester, CT); Alejandro Ochoa (Fort Kent); Olivia R. Picard (Madawaska); Brooke Russell (Baileyville, ME); Riley L. Sibley (Fort Kent); Emily C. Thibeault (Saint David); Nathan S. Wall (Caribou, ME); and Taylor A. Weeks (Bangor, ME).

BSN students in absentia were: Ashley Adams (Auburn, ME); Anthony Allel (Bayside, NY); Deborah J. Allen (Cape Elizabeth, ME); Oghenerume Anaje (Flowery Branch, GA); Kelly J. Arnold (Kokomo, IN); Sally M. Arrey (Gainsville, FL); Kateryna Bagrii (Ellsworth, ME); Caroline M. Bailey (Portland, ME); Lucy M. Bartlett (Orrington, ME); Cory Berndt (Brookfied, MA); Cassandra Binder (East Millinocket, ME); Jean T. Binette (Lyman, ME); Orah Bluestone (Bangor, ME); Jan Boldt (Eddington, ME); Glen E. Bolduc (Auburn, ME); Kylie Bosse (Auburn, ME); Nikki L. Bouley (Sanford, ME); Tara S. Boynton (Thomaston, ME); Moriah L. Bragg (Bangor, ME); Whitney A. Brewer (Blaine, ME); Dustin A. Campbell (Manchester, ME); Iruzy Castellon-Urroz (Woolwich, ME); Beth A. Chabre (Baileyville, ME); Beth A. Chamberlain (Attleboro Falls, MA); Kristina C. Chevalier (Pittsfield, MA); Karyn A. Chiachio (Berlin, NH); Misty E. Christian (Nashua, NH); Teresa L. Coffey (Bowdoin, ME); Sarah Cole (Lincolnville, ME); Jamie L. Cormier (Auburn, ME); Forrest T. Cornell (Wayne, ME); Julie Crafts (Jay, ME); Sarah Cummings (Howland, ME); Cameika Davis (Fort Kent); Mercedes Debowey (Brunswick, ME); Hailey A. Demascio (Greene, ME); Michelle DiDamo (Yonkers, NY); Bryanna DiFrancesco (Harrison, ME); Celestine Djouzong-Tene (Sunbury, OH); Jennifer Doades (Windsor, ME); Trisha M. Domenie (Biddeford, ME); Kayla M. Dow (Naples, ME); Jonathan Doyle (Woodland, ME); Addie P. Drinkwater (Rockport, ME); Valerie L. Dukhey (Saco, ME); Marvin R. Duncan (Buffalo, NY); Ashley N. Dunn (New Gloucester, ME); Ogechukwu W. Esomonu (Fort Kent); Katelyn E. Faulkingham (Hampden, ME); Valerie Flanagan (Brunswick, ME); TuckerAlison Fletcher (Westfield, ME); Diane Foglizzo (Orland, ME); Danae M. Ford (El Dorado, CA); Francoise Frederique (Norwood, MA); Christina Gagnon (Frenchville); Nicole Gendreau (Saint David); Jaquelyn Graham (Bridgewater, MA); Evelyn A. Greenleaf (Trevett, ME); Keckeley L. Habel (Fort Kent); Andrea L. Haffenreffer (Scarborough, ME); Katie E. Hager (Old Town, ME); Rose Hagerstrom (Austin, TX); Kasey J. Haley (New Sweden, ME); Ruth A. Hanson (Presque Isle, ME); Joni E. Hart (Eastbrook, ME); Marissa M. Hilton (Carmel, ME); Mary Hoffman (Rockport, ME); Hayley E. Holmes (Windham, ME); Oluchi Ifegwu (North Attleboro, MA); Gilbert Isaacs (Milford, MI); Suzanne M. Johnstone (Lincoln, ME); Brittany M. Jordan (Nashua, NH); Amy Kirby (Wells, ME); Ann F. Kulovitz (Lovell, MA); Audra C. Lamothe (Jacksonville, FL); Cody J. Leavitt (Norway, ME); Marc D. Leclair (Waterville, ME); Danielle LeDuc (Salisbury Cove, ME); Lindsay Lee (Millinocket, ME); Samuel Leeman (Westbrook, ME); Nicole A. Lefebvre (Bangor, ME); Arielle A. Levesque (Otis, ME); Katherine T. Little (South Hero, VT); Ayelen Lugo (Davie, FL); Rachel T. Mackie (South Portland, ME); Ashlee L. Maltba (China Grove, NC); Brandon J. Maltba (China Grove, NC); Michelle P. Manning (Hampden, ME); Cynthia A. Marlin (South Yarmouth, MA); Bradley Martinez (Fort Kent); Matthew T. Martinez (Boothbay, ME); Elizabeth Matoin (Sanford, ME); Shannon C. Mazyck (Saco, ME); Natasha McCrum (Alfred, ME); Kimberly C. McNamara (New Canaan, CT); Erin McWalters (Thorndike, ME); Natalie M. Merchant (Peru, ME); Isho Mohamed (Hampden, ME); Tanya Moore (Norridgewock, ME); Stacy Morris-White (Brunswick, ME); Sarah E. Murphy (Scarborough, ME); Liz Nadeau (South China, ME); Tonilynn Nadeau (Fort Kent); Pamela Nyota (Portland, ME); Rose Ongala (Portland, ME); Glenroy Osbourne (Brunswick, ME); Alison Paine (Belgrade, ME); Rachel E. Palmer (Farmingdale, ME); Shelby C. Peavey (Raymond, ME); Samantha K. Pellegrino (Brewer, ME); Ashley O. Philbrick (Kennebunk, ME); Angela M. Pike (Burnham, ME); Fraser Query (Fort Kent); Renee Richardson (Hermon, ME); Trisha Robbins (Ossipee, NH); Traci Rogers (Woodland, ME); Matthew S. Rolt (South Portland, ME); Manuel A. Ruiz (Dedham, MA); Alden Russell-Leed (Nottingham, NH); Kaitlin Rustin (Gorham, ME); Clarissa E. Sabattis (Houlton, ME); Danielle L. Sanchez (Ocean Park, ME); Suzi Sauvage (Bangor, ME); Jennifer Schmidt (Brunswick, ME); Meddie K. Serwanga (Portland, ME); Jason M. Simpson (Portland, ME); Benjamin Snowman (Canaan, ME); Julia Sobey (Pittsfield, ME); Joanne Speare (Hampden, ME); Chelsea Swann (Windham, ME); Claire Y. Thompson (Houlton, ME); Catherine B. Trahan (Rockland, ME); Melissa Trahan (Danville, VT); Robin M. Turner (Yarmouth, ME); Nicole Ward (Presque Isle, ME); Michaela R. Washington (Auburn, ME); Stacey M. Wheeler (Bowdoin, ME); Ashton G. White (Bangor, ME); Tifany M. Whitney (Brewer, ME); Dustin Whyte (Wrentham, MA); Ashley L. Winter (Lewiston, ME); Ariel Worth (Windham, ME); and Austin B. Wylie (Gorham, ME).

Faculty, staff, and students, along with family members and friends of the graduates, gathered to honor the recipients of the bachelor of science degree in nursing. University President Dr. Deb Hedeen welcomed attendees and extended congratulations to the students.

The theme for this year’s pinning ceremony was “You Make a Difference.”

The keynote speaker for the pinning ceremony was Mark Cieniawski, MD. Dr. Cieniawski attended Northwestern University Medical School and graduated in 1991. Dr. Cieniawski is a Board Certified physician in internal medicine. He works at Northern Maine Medical Center. With over 32 years of experience in primary care, he has developed a special interest in wellness with practical approaches and recommendations to treat a wide variety of conditions affecting nutrition, heart health, and mental health.

To begin the Nurse Pinning Ceremony, Cheryl Roberts, Instructor of Nursing, thanked the following institutions for supporting the graduates during their clinical courses, as well as offering them a setting in which to complete their preceptorships in Maine: Cary Medical Center; Forest Hill; Houlton Regional Hospital; Maine Medical Center; Maine General Medical Center; Midcoast Regional Hospital; Northern Light AR Gould Hospital; Northern Light/Eastern Maine Medical Center; Northern Maine Medical Center; Maine Coast; PenBay Medical Center; Redington-Fairview General Hospital; St. Joseph’s Memory Care; and York Hospital. Out-of-state preceptorships: Federal Medical Center (Devens, MA); First Health Moore Regional (Pinehurst, NC); Littleton Regional Hospital (Littleton, NH); Porter Medical Center (Middlebury, VT); The Miriam (Providence, RI); and University Medical Center (Elyria, OH).

Since the UMFK Nursing Division relies so heavily on the hospitals in the region, NMMC; Cary Medical Center; and Northern Light AR Gould Hospital were presented with a plaque, which will be displayed on the wall of their institution. Roberts also asked the audience for a round of applause for the many professional nurses who committed themselves to be preceptors for the UMFK senior students and helping them become the best nurses they can be and making a difference in the students’ lives.

During the ceremony, Megan Jandreau, from Wallagrass, was honored with the Student Nurse Citizenship Award. The award honors the diligence, manners, responsibility, conscientiousness, and thoughtful involvement characteristic of an exemplary citizen.

Professor Larry Nadeau said, “Megan planned, organized, and oversaw the many engaging student service activities offered through the Student Nursing Organization. Creative, passionate, and innovative, Megan will always have a lasting impression on SNO and our campus. The contributions by Miss Jandreau truly helped make UMFK a better place while she was here and left big shoes for the subsequent generations of nursing students to fill.”

The Division of Nursing also honors an alumna or alumnus during the pinning ceremony. The Outstanding Nursing Alumni Award is bestowed upon a nursing graduate of the UMFK Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, who displays accomplishment in the nursing profession, as well as a commitment to their community through volunteer service and humanitarian efforts. Melissa Stoliker of Fort Kent was presented with the 2023 Outstanding Nurse Alumna Award.

Melissa Stoliker is a 2012 graduate of UMFK’s nursing program. She went on to her earn her psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner degree from Eastern Kentucky University in 2016. While at UMFK, Stoliker distinguished herself as a professional and a scholar. She worked as a psychiatric technician during her baccalaureate studies, which sparked her passion for behavioral health. Stoliker started working at Fish River Rural Health as a nurse practitioner; she eagerly agreed to offer mental health services, whereby part of her time is spent in a mobile van. When patients cannot go to her, she comes to them. Her new “office” is outfitted with all she needs to provide superb mental health and counseling services. She travels throughout the St. John Valley so that school-aged children are able to access top-quality care without having to leave school.

Additionally, the Division of Nursing annually recognizes individuals in the community who demonstrate a commitment to health care, nursing, and nursing education. This year, Diane Griffin was honored with the Community Leader Award.

Professor Griffin’s extensive and impressive nursing background began more than thirty years ago. As we celebrate nursing education, it is fitting that we are recognizing Professor Griffin, who has been teaching nursing students for over twenty years and was a faculty member at UMFK for 13 years. Her focus was on psych/mental health nursing and health assessment.

Her dedication to best practices in education and nursing was evident in her outstanding student evaluations, reputation as a caring faculty member, and significant contributions to our nursing program.

Griffin was especially skilled in breaking down complex content so that students were able to more easily grasp the information. Students were often found in her office, seeking her assistance and going over remedial materials. Her meticulous attention to detail was a great help to the nursing division. Her gentle nature, quiet humor, and intelligence made her a valued faculty member. Diane Griffin retired in 2022.

The address to the senior class was delivered by Riley Sibley of Fort Kent.

The UMFK Nursing Division faculty and staff are Dr. Erin Soucy, Dr. Rachel E. Albert, Duane Belanger, Larry Nadeau, Stephanie Nadeau, Sandy Pelletier, Fran Picard, Maisie Plourde, Denise Potvin, Cheryl Roberts, Dr. Tanya Sleeper, Nicole Theriault, and Stacy Thibodeau.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent is pleased to announce that Peter Sirois of Eagle Lake will be awarded the 2023 UMFK Distinguished Service Award at UMFK’s 141st Commencement ceremony on May 6, 2023. This award is given to individuals who have gone above and beyond in service to UMFK or the greater community of the St. John Valley, Aroostook County, or the State of Maine.

Sirois served as the President/CEO at Northern Maine Medical Center (NMMC) for ten years. During his thirty-three years of service at NMMC, Peter was also the Chief Operating Officer and Controller. Under his leadership, NMMC was recognized in a variety of ways for outstanding patient care, including a Top 20 Rural Community Hospital in the United States in 2017 and 2018; less than one percent of hospitals nationwide earn this distinction, and even less than that earn it two consecutive years in a row. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stated that NMMC earned a DOUBLE 5-star recognition for both high-quality services and patient satisfaction. In his leadership roles, Peter was a strong advocate for access to healthcare services, especially mental health services, and cost-effective, quality care.

“Peter served many years on the UMFK Nursing Advisory Council,” said UMFK President Deb Hedeen. “He wrote numerous letters of support for our Nursing program’s efforts to secure grant and bond funding. His contributions to the growth of our program have been impactful, and I am honored to have this opportunity to recognize his commitment to UMFK and to healthcare in the St. John Valley.”

In addition to his professional experience, Peter has served as a role model, community leader, and active volunteer in service to the broader community. He worked as the administrator of the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough and the administrator of Borderview Manor in Van Buren. He has served on several boards, including Aroostook Mental Health Center, America’s First Mile, Acadia Federal Credit Union, Aroostook Home Health Services, Hanley Health Leadership Board, the Maine Hospital Association, Valley Home Health Services, Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation, and he is a member of the Fort Kent Lions Club.

Peter is a trained paramedic, registered Maine Guide, and a Maine Notary Public. He has been a licensed Maine Nursing Home Administrator since 1990. Peter holds a bachelor of science degree in Business Administration and a master of science degree in Business Administration from Husson College.

He retired in 2022 and lives with his wife of forty years, Nola, in Eagle Lake. Together they have two beautiful daughters, Michelle and Nicole, and five grandsons.

The opening of a new state-of-the-art immersive nursing simulation center this fall will further strengthen the University of Maine at Fort Kent’s nursing program, allowing for an expansion in enrollment and ensuring graduates are even better prepared to meet the post-pandemic workforce and healthcare needs of the County and beyond.

The immersive simulation center will be the first of its kind in New England and provide UMFK nursing students with hands-on clinical training to develop the skills necessary to facilitate positive patient outcomes without risk.

Funding for the new center comes from $35 million awarded to the University of Maine System for workforce development through the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan (MJRP)—the proposal put forth by Governor Mills and supported by the Maine Legislature to invest the state’s share of federal American Rescue Plan relief funds.

“As many well know, there are significant barriers in finding qualified employees to fill vacancies in healthcare,” said Forest Hill Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center Administrator Travis Guy, a UMFK nursing graduate. “This immersive simulation center will have a significant impact in credentialing and training individuals in providing safe patient care. This will have an enormous benefit on staffing levels for our facilities as well as providing us with a regional center that will allow current and future employees to maintain the credentials and skills necessary to address healthcare needs well into the future. We look forward to our continued partnership with the University of Maine at Fort Kent.”

In response to a projected shortage of 1,450 registered nurses by 2025, the University of Maine System has stepped up investments in nursing faculty and facilities to support expanded enrollment and the number of nursing graduates ready to enter the healthcare workforce. In addition to the MJRP-funded immersive simulation center at UMFK, Congressionally Directed Spending secured by Senators Collins and King in both FY22 and FY23 will strengthen and grow nursing simulation experiences for students in Fort Kent and across the System.

“We are so pleased to be able to purchase immersion suite simulation equipment. These immersion suites provide a safe learning environment for nursing students while simultaneously creating real-world patient scenarios for students to gain valuable experience,” said UMFK Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Erin C. Soucy, Ph.D., RN.

The new Immersive Interactive software consists of 360-degree projections on classroom walls and floors to allow an entire class to be involved in virtual reality educational experiences. The state-of-the-art technology can essentially place a student anywhere in the world with the additional benefit of smells, sounds, and tactile stimuli to enhance the environments and provide realistic simulations. Although the software comes with a content library, it is also 100% customizable.

“This new technology will enhance our program by adding depth to scenarios in order to prepare students for safe and effective patient care,” said UMFK Assistant Professor of Nursing Duane Belanger, “Scenarios will no longer be limited to clinical settings in northern Maine. Educators will now be able to capture video from anywhere in the world and immerse students into multi-disciplinary scenarios. This is particularly beneficial in healthcare where environmental factors can have negative effects on patient outcomes.”

UMFK will also purchase high-realism LifeCast manikins tailored to meet the diversity, equity, and inclusion priorities at the university. The manikins are transforming how medical simulation is delivered and absorbed by closely resembling real people. They not only look real but also move in ways that are beneficial to nursing education. Fingers and wrists bend and cause vein dilation; limbs rotate and are able to be placed across the body; aging body replications include details of hollowing areas due to missing teeth or sagging skin as well as bunions and calluses; and facial and body hair are also included which help students experience how different body types are affected by emergency interventions such as intubation, mechanical ventilation, chest tubes, and patient transfers.

In addition, the new center will also include the Gaumard Hal simulator manikin that responds to questions and interactions by students. This manikin also blinks, speaks, and moves in ways to clearly depict the medical condition being taught.

The center will allow students to have more meaningful experiences with the added pressure of realism to better prepare them for their work ahead.

“The new simulation center will allow students to train and prepare to enter the workforce as effective members of the healthcare team on day one,” said Belanger.

Looking at the bigger picture of how the addition of the new center will impact UMFK’s nursing programs, Soucy added, “We will be able to assess student competency from a distance, which will be invaluable for our online graduate students.”

The renovations are slated to be completed for the start of the fall 2023 semester.

For more information on UMFK’s nursing programs, visit umfk.edu/academics/programs/nursing.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent is pleased to announce that nursing student, Irene Neal, was recently honored by Maine Campus Compact (MCC) on April 28, 2022, at its 21st Annual Awards Ceremony. Neal was awarded the Heart and Soul Award which recognizes outstanding work in public service and civic engagement by Maine faculty, students, and community and corporate partners.

“During these unprecedented times, our award recipients’ positive impacts on campuses and in communities throughout the state reinforce the importance of the public purposes of higher education,” said Sally Slovenski from MCC.

The Heart and Soul Student Award recognizes six Maine undergraduate students who are actively involved in transforming their campuses and communities into environments of civic engagement. These students have developed positive community and campus change and have worked to institutionalize their community projects. They have implemented innovative approaches to social, educational, environmental, health, economic and legal issues facing their communities and demonstrated leadership through their successful involvement of others on campus and in the community.

“We’re so proud that Ms. Neal’s work is being recognized at the state level,” said UMFK President Deb Hedeen. “She has had such an impact on campus and with her peers.”

Neal is from central Maine. She began her college journey at the University of Maine studying Biomedical Engineering but changed her major to Nursing at UMFK. As a Student Trustee to the University of Maine System Board of Trustees during the onset of the pandemic, she strongly advocated for science-based responses—masking, testing, social distancing, vaccinations—and this focus on public health informs her continuing activities. In addition to serving as an officer on the UMFK Student Nurses Organization, she has also worked part-time as a CNA. After graduation in May, she will start her nursing career at Duke University Hospital in North Carolina on a Cardiac Stepdown Unit.

“Ms. Neal pursued her preceptorship at Duke University Hospital, and they were so impressed with her that they have offered her a position upon graduation,” said UMFK Dean of Nursing, Dr. Erin Soucy. “She has been a wonderful student to have on campus.

For more information about the nursing program at UMFK, please go to the Nursing program webpage or call (207) 834-7600.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent is pleased to announce that Professor Duane Belanger has been awarded a Rural Health and Wellbeing Grand Challenge Injury Prevention Seed Grant focusing on safety and wellness of Acadian residents of the upper Saint John River valley.

Professor Belanger will be focusing several inherited forms of spastic ataxia in French-Canadians and whether there is any evidence of dysarthria, lower limb spasticity, and distal weakness affecting lower limb movement and gait within the patient population of the area, which may increase the risk for falls and injuries. The grant also provides for the inventory and evaluation of traditional and complimentary alterative medical (CAM) treatments utilized within the French Acadian culture.

“This is an innovative collaboration between the Nursing and Behavioral Sciences program at UMFK and the Physical Science and Physical Therapy Assistant programs of UMPI which provides an opportunity for undergraduate students in both programs to cultivate inter-professional relationships that will provide professional development opportunities for our students on both campuses,” said Belanger.

The $25,000 research grant provides undergraduate research stipends for up to 15 nursing, behavioral science, physical sciences, and physical therapy assistant students from both campuses. As primary researcher, Professor Belanger will be working with Dr. Matthew Papsadora of the UMPI along with UMFK professors Maisie Plourde and Larry Nadeau.

“There is an existing and long-standing history of collaboration between the two campuses and the implementation of this project resolves to reinforce and build upon the positive momentum achieved thus far,” said Belanger.

The application portal for student will open shortly with an application deadline shortly before the beginning of the fall semester. By participating in this grant the hope is that students will become engaged practitioners prepared to be active participants within the evolving inter-professional collaborative healthcare delivery model focused on preventing falls, improving the patient experience, and delivering improved patient outcomes.

For more information you may contact Professor Belanger via email at duane.belanger@maine.edu or via phone at (207) 834-7586. Information on this research project may be obtained by visiting https://duanebelanger.wixsite.com/grandchallenge

The University of Maine at Fort Kent is pleased to announce the creation of new Master of Science in Nursing and Doctorate of Nursing Practice programs. These graduate-level programs will be offered fully online.

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctorate of Nursing Practice are UMFK’s first graduate-level programs. While UMFK has several graduate-level pathways with other University of Maine System institutions, these will be their first solo programs.

“Nursing is UMFK’s signature program,” said UMFK’s President Dr. Deb Hedeen. “With a robust group of highly qualified doctorate-level faculty, creating doctoral and master’s programs is an obvious fit and our State has a demonstrated need for individuals with graduate-level nursing education.”

“We have researched the health needs of the State and after considering the graduate-level nursing programs that the University of Maine System already offered, we determined that providing specialty tracks in Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP), Acute Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Acute PMHNP), Primary Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Primary PMHNP), and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) were of the most value to the residents of Maine,” said UMFK’s Associate Provost of Academic Affairs and Dean of Nursing Dr. Erin Soucy.

The online, accelerated program will have several start dates to allow for greater access for students. UMFK will begin admission into the Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) program for a summer 2022 start. The remaining specialty tracks will launch in summer 2023 and summer 2024. The Doctorate of Nursing Practice has an expected start of 2024.

“Expanding capacity to produce more registered nurses is not enough to help our State,” said President Hedeen. “We must prepare more nursing faculty and advance nurse practitioners to handle the upcoming retirements in the next five to ten years.”

The staggered roll-out of the specialty tracks is to accommodate not only the expected enrollment bump, but also the need for additional faculty. Delaying the start of several of the specialties allows the university time to conduct a national search for appropriate faculty.

“Our national accrediting agency, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), sets forth graduate program accreditation standards that we follow,” said Dr. Soucy. “Our program curriculum and evaluation plan align with CCNE and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) standards for quality graduate education and program evaluation.”

“Maine needs comprehensive strategies for our most dire workforce challenges,” said University of Maine System Chancellor Dannel Malloy. “UMFK has long been a leader in nursing education. I appreciate their innovation and their commitment to investing in educational programs that expand our overall capacity to prepare more people for careers as Maine healthcare providers and educators.”

UMFK will begin marketing these programs nationwide this spring in order to correspond to the staggered programmatic rollout. The marketing is done in conjunction with a national entity called Academic Partnerships (AP) who enables a wider reach for UMFK’s messaging.

“Nursing is a vast field of study, and we are thrilled to be able to offer prospective students multiple pathways for nursing education at UMFK,” said President Hedeen.

For more information, please call (207) 834-7600 or go to the Nursing program webpage.