‘Bangor Daily News’ highlights UNE program training students for community-based nursing
The Bangor Daily News published a recent story about a program preparing Nursing students at the University of New England for a growing field in health care. The article, “What’s causing Maine’s community nursing crisis,” featured UNE’s Upstream Practicums in Nursing program, which gives Nursing students the opportunity to train in community health clinics as opposed to a hospital setting.
The Bangor Daily News interviewed Class of 2017 UNE Accelerated Bachelor of Science (ABSN) in Nursing students Josselyn Agura and Courtney Wilson as they worked in Greater Portland Health’s Park Avenue clinic, shadowing physicians and working with patients. They discussed why they are interested in pursuing work in community nursing. “What draws me to the profession and what I want to keep continuing with is developing a relationship that’s trusting and really getting to see the whole picture of each patient, as opposed to just what disease they’re being treated for,” Agura said.
UNE’s Upstream program, which is funded by a federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, partners with Greater Portland Health to provide students with the chance to work in all five of their clinics, which serve a variety of populations including older adults, immigrants, the homeless and low-income families.
The article detailed the need for more community-based nurses, as more patients require care outside of a hospital setting. It’s part of a larger nursing shortage in Maine, with recent estimates predicting a critical shortage by 2025. In the article, the students explained how UNE has prepared them for the challenges of the industry, including stress management and learning the most affective ways to learn on the job.
Watch a video about the program produced by the UNE Office of Communications.
Professions visit www.une.edu/wchp
To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions