RN-BSN

If you are already an RN with an Associates degree, our holistic Bachelors program is the perfect way for you to advance your career and prepare for graduate school. UMA's RN- BSN program is currently in NLNAC accreditation candidacy status. The expected NLNAC visit will be scheduled for Fall 2013. To read more about this please visit NLNAC

RN-B.S.N. via hybrid and online course offerings.

Academics » UMA Colleges » College of Professional Studies » Nursing » RN to BSN » Academics » UMA Colleges » Professional Studies » Nursing

About

Associate Degree in Nursing Program

UMA currently has a three to five-year waitlist for the Associate of Science in Nursing program. We are no longer adding to the waitlist for the program and are moving to a competitive direct admission process once the existing waitlist has been depleted. This move will allow qualified students to enter the nursing program more quickly on a competitive basis. For admission to the nursing program under the new process, students will need to have strong grades in the science courses, competitive recommendations, strong writing skills and a competitive cumulative GPA. We will continue to update this website in reference to the acceptance of Nursing applications. To get started, you may choose to enroll in our Liberal Studies - Pre-Nursing program and work on completing general education and prerequisite courses. Current requirements are listed on the program checksheet. Please note that completion of the prerequisite requirements is not a guarantee for admission into the nursing program, but will be necessary for application consideration.

UMA takes great pride in its Nursing Program, which has graduated more than 1,600 RNs. In virtually every health care facility in central Maine and even around the state, you’ll find UMA-educated nurses filling critically important roles in the delivery of care to patients. A constant in our tradition of expertly preparing nursing students is a superb faculty who combine nursing experience and teaching excellence. Like the care they show to patients in the health care setting, our faculty display the same care in the classroom, providing each and every nursing student with the attention and understanding they need to succeed.

Along with its outstanding faculty, UMA boasts a Nursing Center with expanded classrooms and labs equipped with contemporary equipment. This excellent nurse education center provides an ideal setting for learning, while our relationship with Maine General Hospital and numerous other healthcare facilities provides our students with invaluable hands-on clinical experience.

Our ASN nursing majors graduate well prepared to take the N-CLEX-RN examination for licensure as a registered nurse. Once licensed, they can often choose from among a wide array of rewarding and well compensated RN career opportunities.

The Associate in Science in Nursing Degree is approved by the Maine State Board of Nursing and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc. (NLNAC).

Maine State Board of Nursing
161 Capitol Street, 158 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04330-0158
Telephone: (207)287-1133
Web site: www.state.me.us/boardofnursing

National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, INC.(NLNAC)
3343 Peachtree Road
NE, Suite 850
Atlanta, Georgia, 30326
Telephone: (404)975-5000
Web site: www.nlnac.org

The next NLNAC accreditation visit is scheduled for March 5-7, 2013.

Skills

UMA’s Nursing program produces caring, competent, knowledgeable professionals who provide an invaluable service to their communities. Clinical, critical thinking and writing skills, along with an understanding of various systems (health care, biological, family, and sociological) are just some of the skills that our nursing students acquire. Additional skills and abilities they possess are listed below.

Communication	Human Development
Facilitating the nurse-patient relationship Teaching Advocating Counseling & interviewing Public speaking Active listening Assessing individual needs	Managing patients throughout lifespan Understanding basic human needs Clarifying values Working with families Sensitivity to diversity Working as a team player

Technical	Critical Thinking
Critical observations Understanding medical terminology Psychomotor skill development Physical stamina Accuracy with details Planning and organizing	Utilizing the nursing process Working under pressure Setting priorities Applying theory to clinical practice Implementing and evaluating plans Making decisions Identifying ethical dilemmas

Careers

The selected list below indicates a range of career possibilities. For some occupations listed below, a Bachelor’s degree or graduate level of study may be required.

Health Care (Traditional Settings)	Health Care (Non-Traditional Settings)
Staff Nurse (all areas of care) Clinical Coordinator Supervisor* Charge Nurse Advanced Practitioner* Nurse Practioner, CNS, Midwife* Home Health Care Nurse Office Nurse Infection Control Nurse Enterostomal Therapist* School Nurse Public Health Nurse	Case Manager Biofeedback Therapist* Flight Nurse Day Care Nurse Health Care/Nursing Research* Camp Nurse Parish Nurse Forensic Nurse

Education
Nurse Educator Staff Development School Health Coordinator Patient Education Coordinator

*Baccalaureate or Graduate level study is generally required for these occupations.

PHILOSOPHY OF THE NURSING PROGRAM

The Nursing Program faculty believes that an individual is a holistic being with basic human needs aligning with Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Basic Human Needs are fundamental physiologic, psychological, social, and spiritual requirements for the well-being and health of an individual.

Health is a dynamic state in which individuals adapt to internal and external environments to strive for optimal well-being and quality of life. Health incorporates human needs, developmental processes, and the ability to maximize individual potential. Each person has the right to participate in decisions which affect health.

The Nursing Faculty embraces the philosophy of Relationship Centered Care, which is the intentional cultivation of relationships. Relationship Centered Care encompasses the values of respect for dignity and uniqueness of others, valuing diversity, integrity, humility, mutual trust, self-determination, empathy and the capacity for grace and empowerment.

Values and Beliefs about Nursing

Nursing is a caring profession with a goal of assisting clients to achieve an individual level of wellness through a holistic caring approach. The client enters the health care delivery system for assistance in managing health needs. The profession requires clinical reasoning skills in order to make sound nursing care decisions, which incorporate accountability and integrity. Professional nursing actions are also based on a body of knowledge that is the integration of theory from the arts, humanities, physical sciences, and caring-humanistic sciences.

Values and Beliefs About Nursing Education.

Consistent with UMA's strong commitment to the adult learner, the Nursing Program has incorporated the principles of adult education in its curriculum. Learning is a linked effort of faculty and students that fosters life-long self-directed learning, critical thinking skills, and personal and professional growth. Learning is a continuous process, which involves the student’s intellect, feelings, values, interests, and past experiences. The role of the faculty member is that of experienced teacher, facilitator, resource person, the role model of care and self-care, and the architect of a climate for learning. Faculty and students become partners in the relationship centered educational experience.

The Associate Degree Nursing Program prepares graduates for entry level nursing positions and for baccalaureate level studies by providing a foundation in general studies, sciences, nursing, and use of technologies. The ASN graduate is prepared to provide and manage holistic, caring, evidence-based nursing care of clients across the life-span, in a variety of structured settings. The graduate is prepared to function collaboratively as a member of the interdisciplinary health care team.

At the Bachelor’s level of education, an integral educational framework approach is utilized to further examine the health potential of self, patients, and communities, while enhancing the students’ understanding of healing and holism. The Baccalaureate Degree Nursing Program prepares registered nurses for leadership roles in nursing, while supporting their ability to create caring-healing sustainable holistic nursing practices. This is achieved through the practices of self-reflection and self-care.

Students are offered the opportunity to explore holistic-healing elective courses, which can be utilized in various practice settings. The BSN graduate has enhanced opportunities for career growth and is prepared for and encouraged to pursue graduate level studies.

Educational Delivery Modalities

In fulfilling our commitment to students’ learning needs, and in response to continual changes in healthcare, the faculty are committed to the integration of technology throughout the curriculum. The ASN and BSN curricula are delivered via a variety of contemporary learning platforms, including hybrid, web-based, traditional, and simulation.

Ultimately, the UMA nursing graduate is prepared to utilize nursing theory, technology, and evidenced-based knowledge in the provision of holistic relationship centeredcare to the client, family, and the global community, with flexibility to adapt to the changing nature of health care and health care roles.

4/20/12

Our Associates Nursing program will provide you with outstanding preparation for practice in structured health care settings such as hospitals, nursing care facilities, and community-based agencies. If you are already an RN with an Associates degree, our holistic Bachelors program is the perfect way for you to advance your career and prepare for graduate school.

RN-B.S.N. via hybrid and online course offerings.

Vision:

The University of Maine at Augusta Nursing Education Program will be a leader in educating caring, professional, nurses.

Mission:

The University of Maine at Augusta Nursing Education Program fulfills current and future nursing care needs of diverse populations by educating students to become professional nurses who sustain caring nursing practices. The Nursing Education Program is delivered using contemporary technology to traditional, non-traditional and place bound students.

Faculty guide and facilitate Associate and Bachelor of Nursing students learning by: