Holistic Nursing

Earn your BSN at UMA

We’re preparing resilient, practice-ready nurses at every stage of life through our flexible, affordable program. Whether you’re just starting out, balancing a busy schedule, or working as a registered nurse—your path to a BSN is here.

No waitlist or entrance exams

AHNCC-endorsed holistic program

100% job placement

What is holistic nursing?

Holistic nursing is a specialized, relationship-centered approach that treats the whole person—mind, body, spirit, and emotions—rather than just focusing on a specific illness or symptom. It bridges conventional medical practices with complementary therapies to promote healing and wellbeing, involving the patient as an active partner in their health journey. We believe that in order to effectively care for others as nurses, we must also practice self-care, mindfulness, and self-reflection. Our curriculum integrates holistic practices at every level, shaping how students learn, reflect, care for patients, and care for themselves.

Holistic Nurse Certification Exam

We’re Maine’s only holistically-endorsed nursing program, a distinction we share with just 16 other schools across the country. That means our students graduate prepared—and eligible—to take the NCLEX-RN and the HNB-BC (Holistic Nurse Certification Exam)—a notable career differentiator.

Choose your path

Prelicensure BSN

Graduate with your BSN, ready to take the NCLEX-RN and the HNB-BC (Holistic Nurse Certification Exam).

Hybrid model
4-year program
Flexible pacing options
120 credit hours

Explore BSN

RN-to-BSN Completion

Graduate with your BSN, ready to take the HNB-BC (Holistic Nurse Certification Exam).

100% online
2-year program
Flexible pacing options

Explore RN to BSN

Maine’s most flexible nursing program

Everything about our program is designed for student success.

Nursing faculty develops an individualized progression plan for every student, designed to fit your circumstances

We’re the only university in Maine that offers a part-time track to prelicensure, creating a path for working students to pursue their BSN

While all prelicensure students must travel to Augusta occasionally to meet program requirements, UMA offers the greatest spread of access points across the state

Treating (and educating) the whole person

We’re Maine’s only holistically-endorsed nursing program, a distinction we share with just 17 other schools across the country. While traditional medical models focus on treating a patient’s symptoms or disease, holistic nursing considers the whole person—and recognizes the interconnected spectrum of needs that affect their wellbeing. Our curriculum integrates holistic practices at every level, shaping how students learn, reflect, care for their patients, and care for themselves.

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc.
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
www.acenursing.org

The University of Maine at Augusta Nursing Program, educates and embraces a diverse student population in holistic and integrative therapies using innovative technology and evidence-based practices to nurture future nurse leaders who serve and care for individuals across the lifespan.

We are committed to nurturing the growth of compassionate professional nurses who will embody the values of holistic caring using their wisdom, heart, and soul to make a difference

Meet Your Instructors

Locations

While all prelicensure students must travel to Augusta occasionally to meet program requirements, UMA offers the greatest spread of access points across Maine.

Designed to mirror real-world medical environments, this center features cutting-edge simulation labs where you can build your hands-on confidence in a supportive space.

Access high-fidelity lab simulations and spend more time in your home community through the Ellsworth & Rockland Centers.

Beginning in Fall 2026, you can complete your nursing degree in the heart of Central Maine with full onsite student support services, and regional clinical placements.

Experience the classic campus lifestyle at the University of Maine at Farmington while being enrolled in UMA’s nursing program. Students can earn a BA in Holistic Health from UMF and a BSN in Nursing from UMA, combining liberal arts with nursing skills.

Earn both a Bachelor of College Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) while staying in the Downeast region. Flexible coursework through UMaine Machias, online nursing through UMA, and hands-on lab & simulation experience through the Ellsworth Center.

“UMA is very human-oriented. They care about you as a person, not just as a student. If you need to slow down, take time, or shift directions, that’s okay. They understand that life happens.”

– Alyssa Stonier, UMA nursing student

Read Alyssa’s Story

Nursing career paths

Acute care roles

Clinical practice in a variety of inpatient settings:

Medical Surgical
Critical Care
Pediatrics
Obstetrics
Emergency or Trauma Nursing
Behavioral Health
Nurse Educator (in some settings)
Nurse Manager (in some settings)

Community roles

Clinical practice in a variety of inpatient settings:

Public Health Nurse
School Nurse
Home Health or Hospice Nursing
Care Manager
Wellness Coach

Graduate & advanced practice roles

Clinical practice in a variety of inpatient settings:

Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Educator
Nurse Manager
Nurse Anesthetist
Nurse Leader (CNL)
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
PhD in nursing research or nursing science

Resources

NCLEX PASS RATES ACEN ACCREDITATION

AHNCC ENDORSEMENT NECHE ACCREDITATION

FAQs

The University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree with a Holistic Nursing major. We offer two paths to a BSN depending on your background, both endorsed by the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation (AHNCC). Graduates from both paths are eligible to sit for the Holistic Nurse Certification Exam (HNB-BC) after passing the NCLEX-RN.

Traditional 4-year Prelicensure BSN
- Hybrid program, including online and in-person instruction
- Designed for students who do not yet hold a nursing license
- Prepares students to enter the healthcare field and sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
2-year RN to BSN
- 100% online and asynchronous, ideal for working professionals
- Designed for licensed registered nurses (RNs) who already hold an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a nursing diploma

At its core, holistic nursing treats the patient as a whole person, rather than a collection of physical symptoms or a medical diagnosis. It operates on the principle that a person’s biological, psychological, social, spiritual, and environmental factors are deeply interconnected and all play a role in healing.

A holistic nurse evaluates how a patient’s lifestyle, relationships, stress levels, and emotional state impact their physical wellbeing. Holistic nursing pairs traditional clinical practices with integrative, evidence-based therapies (like mindfulness, nutrition, and lifestyle modifications), while treating the relationship between the caregiver and the patient as a powerful tool for recovery.

While many nursing schools touch on holistic concepts, the University of Maine at Augusta has woven them directly into the curriculum. Here’s what sets UMA apart from traditional nursing programs:

National endorsement
UMA’s program is one of only 17 nursing schools in the entire country endorsed by the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation (AHNCC). Because of this rare distinction, graduates from both the 4-year Prelicensure BSN and RN-to-BSN pathways are qualified to bypass the usual post-graduate practice requirements and sit for the National Holistic Nurse Certification Exam (HNB-BC) immediately upon graduation (and passing the NCLEX-RN).
Caring for the care provider
Healthcare is notoriously stressful, and burnout is an industry-wide crisis. UMA tackles this proactively by making the nurse’s own wellbeing a core component of the program. Students are taught practical self-reflection and self-care modalities to cultivate resilience. The philosophy is simple: you cannot pour from an empty cup, and learning to sustain your own health is vital to a lifelong nursing career.
Maine’s most flexible nursing program
UMA’s holistic nursing program is designed with adult and rural learners in mind. Students can access high-tech simulation facilities at access points across the state—including Augusta, Lewiston, Rockland, Ellsworth, and the collaborative Downeast Nursing Track. This allows students to make progress on their degree, while spending more time in their home community.
Grounded in renowned caring theories
The curriculum was designed and developed by doctorally prepared holistic nursing faculty, and is explicitly structured around advanced frameworks of human connection and healing, including:

Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring
Barbara Dossey’s Theory of Integral Nursing
Ken Wilber’s Integral Philosophy

Yes, the nursing program at the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) is fully accredited—both nationally accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), and regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) as part of the University of Maine System.

UMA offers the greatest spread of access points across Maine.

UMA’s Capital Center (Augusta): Designed to mirror real-world medical environments, this center features cutting-edge simulation labs where you can build your hands-on confidence in a supportive space.
Regional Centers (Ellsworth and Rockland): Access high-fidelity lab simulations and spend more time in your home community through the Ellsworth & Rockland Centers.
Farmington: Experience the classic campus lifestyle at the University of Maine at Farmington while being enrolled in UMA’s nursing program. Through this partnership, you can take classes through both UMF and UMA.
Lewiston Center: Beginning in Fall 2026, you can complete your nursing degree in the heart of Central Maine with full onsite student support services, and regional clinical placements.
The Downeast Nursing Track: Earn both a Bachelor of College Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) while staying in the Downeast region. Flexible coursework through UMaine Machias, online nursing through UMA, and hands-on lab & simulation experience through the Ellsworth Center.

Note: All Prelicensure BSN students must travel to Augusta occasionally to meet program requirements. The RN-to-BSN path is 100% online, but students are welcome to take advantage of any of these learning locations to access student advisement & resources.

How long it takes to earn your BSN at the University of Maine at Augusta depends entirely on your starting point. Because UMA offers two distinct paths to a BSN, the timeline looks very different for a new student versus an experienced nurse.

Traditional Prelicensure BSN

Timeline: If you do not yet hold a nursing license, this path takes a standard four academic years to complete.
- Traditional track: 4 academic years
- Part-time track: 5-6 academic years
- Advanced track: 2-3 academic years
Credit hours: 121 credit hours across eight semesters
What to expect: The first year is heavily focused on general education requirements and foundational science prerequisites (like Anatomy & Physiology). Years 2-4 integrate intense nursing theory, simulation labs, and clinical rotations at local healthcare facilities.

RN to BSN Completion

Timeline: 2 years (Full-time) or 4 years (Part-time)
Credit hours: This track is for licensed Registered Nurses who already hold an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a nursing diploma. Because you’ve already completed your basic clinical training, UMA allows you to transfer in a significant number of prior credits.
Flexible pacing options
- Full-time track: You can finish the remaining upper-level holistic nursing courses in 2 years
- Part-time track: Because the vast majority of students in this program work full-time as RNs, UMA offers a highly flexible, fully online schedule. Taking a slower pace of one or two classes a term usually puts graduation at the 4-year mark.

If you’re already a licensed registered nurse with an Associate Degree in Nursing or other nursing degree, you can complete your BSN 100% online, at a pace that works for your schedule.

If you’re a traditional student on the Prelicensure BSN path, you’ll be able to complete some pre-nursing coursework online. However in order to meet program requirements, it will be necessary (and essential) for you to complete hands-on, in-person simulation experience at a learning center or the Augusta campus, and clinical experiences in healthcare settings across Maine.

UMA’s nursing program maintains a strong competitive track record for first-time test takers on the NCLEX-RN exam. Our BSN graduates performed robustly over the recently completed three-year data cycle:

UMA NCLEX-RN Pass Rates (First-Time Test Takers)

Year	UMA Pass Rate	Maine State BSN Average	National BSN Average
2023	100.00%	86.65%	90.17%
2024	86.67%	90.64%	91.92%
2025	83.02%	87.72%	87.60%
3-Year Average	89.90%	88.34%

UMA’s multi-year average pass rate hovers around the 90% mark, indicating that our program’s concept-based, holistic curriculum aligns well with the demands of the national licensing exam, strongly positioning graduates to step directly into the workforce.

The University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) offers Maine’s #1 most affordable online program for Registered Nurses (RNs) to complete their bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN). Degree Prospects, LLC has issued the recognition through their website RNtoMSN.org.

While our tuition rates are the lowest in the state, there are a number of ways to lower costs even further. The Financial Aid Office administers federal, state, and university aid programs to assist eligible students in financing their UMA education. In addition to the federal Pell Grant, UMA offers the Pine Tree State Pledge which is awarded to qualified new and transfer in-state full-time Pell recipients who have tuition and fees that are not covered by other grant aid.

UMA’s Prelicensure BSN is a 4-year degree program with flexible pacing options, and is taught through a hybrid model. Students can complete lecture classes online or in-person, and must complete in-person simulation experience and clinical placements to qualify for prelicensure. Students graduate prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN to become a licensed registered nurse, and have the option to sit for the additional HNB-BC to become a Certified Holistic Nurse.

UMA’s RN-to-BSN Completion program is a 2-year path to a BSN, designed for working registered nurses. This path is 100% online and asynchronous. Students graduate prepared to sit for the (optional, but highly recommended) HNB-BC to become a Certified Holistic Nurse.

UMA’s Nursing Program offers part-time tracks for both the Prelicensure BSN, and the RN-to-BSN Completion paths. We’re the only university in Maine with a part-time track to Prelicensure, creating an opportunity for working students to pursue a nursing education.

The University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) offers Maine’s #1 most affordable online program for Registered Nurses (RNs) to complete their bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN). Our RN-to-BSN program is 100% online & asynchronous, so you can work toward your degree at the pace you need. You can learn more about this path to a BSN here.

Sign up for more information

uma nursing student wearing uma nursing sleeve patch

Request Info Apply For Free Contact Admissions

Have questions?

TruLeague connects you directly with current UMA nursing students, faculty, and alumni so you can get honest, real-time answers about the program. Chat one-on-one to discover what coursework and clinicals are really like, so you can feel confident taking your next step into nursing.

Explore TruLeague