University of Maine

Nursing Programs Offered

RN to BSN Program Details

The University of Maine School of Nursing RN Studies Program expands career options for registered nurses (RN) who possess the Associate Degree or Diploma in Nursing. Building on prior education, clinical experience, and career goals, the program of study enables the RN to earn a Bachelor of Science (BSN) or Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN).

RN students may attend on a full or a part-time basis. The length of time necessary to complete a BSN or MSN depends on the number of transfer hours a student has completed and the number of credit hours planned for each semester. The curriculum sheet below may help you identify which of the courses you have completed.

Transfer credit for courses completed at an accredited college is evaluated at the time of admission. RNs who have graduated from an NLN accredited program (diploma or associate degree) may receive up to 30 hours of credit for completed nursing courses. C.L.E.P. exams are available for several of the introductory courses. In addition, distance-education methods allow flexibility for many courses. For the convenience of midcoast Maine RNs, some RN-Studies courses are now available at the UMaine Frederick E. Hutchinson Center in Belfast.

Completion of the BSN or MSN program for registered nurses may be unique to each individual.

BSN Program Details

Preparing nurses for the increasingly diverse and global health care system, where change is rapid and constant, is a challenge recognized and embraced by the University of Maine School of Nursing. Nurses educated for the 21st century must be prepared for continued change, expanded roles, a variety of health care settings, and use of technology. The School of Nursing undergraduate curriculum includes:

-Liberal arts courses, taken during the first two years, which are the foundation for developing critical thinking, decision-making ability, an appreciation for the individual, and developing respect for diversity of cultures.
-Physical and social sciences which provide the foundation for understanding human health.
-Nursing courses which provide the theoretical and scientific under pinnings of promotion, maintenance and restoration of health across the life span.
-Clinical experiences in acute-care facilities including: Eastern Maine Medical Center, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center, Acadia Hospital, as well as other hospitals around the State including rural community hospitals.
-Community based experiences, offered through affiliations with numerous local and rural community health agencies, schools, specialty clinics such as pediatric and maternal health, and occupational health settings. Student community-based leadership projects may include such diverse areas as CPR classes for teachers, health resources for Veterans and the homeless population, disaster preparedness for children and families, and health teaching in correctional facilities.

MSN Program Details

The University of Maine School of Nursing developed its first graduate program in 1992 and the initial group of graduate students received their MSN in May 1994. For the first years, the MSN program focused on preparing the nurse for the advanced professional role of family nurse practitioner (FNP). Later, in response to the diverse graduate education needs of Maine nurses, our graduate program expanded to prepare nurses for professional roles such as nurse educator, nurse administrator, or other professional role. Graduate program faculty are expert practitioners in their field.

The University of Maine Master of Science in Nursing program is accreditated by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)

Options:

-Full-time study for 2 years leading to a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN);
-Part-time study for 3 or 4 years, leading to the MSN;
-Students already possessing the MSN may elect to obtain a Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS);
-RN to MSN track, full or part-time.

RN to MSN Program Details

The University of Maine School of Nursing RN Studies Program expands career options for registered nurses (RN) who possess the Associate Degree or Diploma in Nursing. Building on prior education, clinical experience, and career goals, the program of study enables the RN to earn a Bachelor of Science (BSN) or Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN).

RN students may attend on a full or a part-time basis. The length of time necessary to complete a BSN or MSN depends on the number of transfer hours a student has completed and the number of credit hours planned for each semester. The curriculum sheet below may help you identify which of the courses you have completed.

Transfer credit for courses completed at an accredited college is evaluated at the time of admission. RNs who have graduated from an NLN accredited program (diploma or associate degree) may receive up to 30 hours of credit for completed nursing courses. C.L.E.P. exams are available for several of the introductory courses. In addition, distance-education methods allow flexibility for many courses. For the convenience of midcoast Maine RNs, some RN-Studies courses are now available at the UMaine Frederick E. Hutchinson Center in Belfast.

Completion of the BSN or MSN program for registered nurses may be unique to each individual.