Academic Progression in Nursing
MaineHealth Maine Medical Center (MHMMC) Portland is committed to the provision of opportunities and support for those employees who desire to enter the field of nursing and continue on in academic pathways to achieve future goals for professional practice. CCPD offers guidance on all levels of academic progression from undergraduate to post graduate degree programs including RN to BSN, BSN to Masters Advance Practice, PhD and Doctoral degrees.
Aside from the development and oversight of traditional academic affiliate partnerships as a clinical placement site for students, CCPD leadership strategically seeks out opportunities to negotiate with programs for special incentives for MHMMC Portland employees such as tuition reduction, deferred payment, credits for prior courses, degrees, practice experiences, diversity in educational methods and free introductory courses.
Once enrolled and matriculated in a program, MHMMC Portland provides annual tuition assistance and generous scholarships are available.
As a unique example of a nontraditional academic agreement, MHMMC Portland’s CCPD and Saint Joseph’s College of Maine (SJC) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding in 2018 to partner in a new initiative to support the expansion of and enhanced competence of Maine’s new graduates in the nursing workforce.
Through this partnership, we provide for a new undergraduate BSN nursing academic opportunity with a cohort of MHMMC Portland employees as students over and above SJC annual enrollment. This partnership incorporates:
- A consolidated curriculum collapsed to three years with potential for enhanced progression through classroom requisites
- SJC provision of formal classroom experiences at SJC or at MHMMC Portland
- MHMMC Portland provision of all clinical faculty and the oversight of the clinical curriculum. Increased student hours in clinical practice with the addition of specialty tracks for more intensive experiences in selected clinical settings
- The student’s ability to maintain one’s current position with opportunity to reduce work hours yet maintain full time benefits
- CCPD and SJC share responsibility for student selection where students must meet SJC admission requirements and MHMMC Portland requirements as a clinical site.
- Ability to transfer non-nursing credits taken at a regionally accredited program
- Markedly reduced tuition and deferred payment plans
- Commitment by the employee to accept employment at MHMMC Portland for three years
This is an exciting venture with impressive outcomes for MHMMC Portland, SJC, and our employees who aspire to become highly proficient new graduates practicing at MHMMC Portland.
Nursing Academic Partnerships & MHMMCP as a Clinical Practice Site
MHMMC Portland enjoys a long history as a principal clinical site of choice for year round nursing academic placements and holds Academic Affiliate Standard Agreements with more than 50 nursing programs throughout Maine, New England and the United States. MHMMC Portland's nursing leadership is well represented on the Advisory Councils of our primary local affiliates and serve as strong practice partners for nursing workforce development and the creation and support of new strategies for clinical practice experiences.
MHMMC Portland Nursing Academic Affiliates Include:
Programs with clinical placements of undergraduate student groups with faculty, senior practicums, and graduate level placements:
- Saint Joseph's College of Maine
- Southern Maine Community College (Undergrads and seniors only)
- Eastern Maine Community College (Undergrads and seniors only)
- University of New England
- University of Southern Maine
Programs with senior practicum and/or graduate placements:
- University of Maine- Augusta, Fort Kent, and Orono sites
- Husson College
- Boston College
- Drexel University
- Endicott College
- Granite State University
- Grand Canyon University
- Maine College of Health Professions
- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- MGH Institute of Health Professions
- Northeastern University
- Saint Anselm’s College
- Southern New Hampshire University
- University of Connecticut
- University of New Hampshire
In addition, we have partnerships with over 30 online post-graduate degree programs across the country in response to individual student requests for MHMMC Portland as the clinical site for their final practicums.
MHMMC Portland supports more than 1,600 undergraduate clinical placements annually from affiliates on a trimester basis with requests increasing each year. Senior practicum placements approximate 225 students per year for an average of 200 hours of practice per student with one-on-one MHMMC Portland RN preceptor oversight.
Graduate degree student practicums requiring MHMMC Portland Master's prepared and/or Advanced Practice RN preceptors are provided for students from Maine, New England and beyond and include student experiences for Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Clinical Nurse Leader programs and students in other post-graduate specialties.
Our partnerships have allowed MHMMC Portland to attract and recruit stellar graduates to begin their practices or career advancement here at MHMMC Portland. In addition, MHMMC Portland serves as a rich resource of clinical faculty for our academic partners. The opportunities for MHMMC Portland nurses to become faculty and/or clinical preceptors has played a role in retaining our experts and promoting their continued development and satisfaction.
Student Nurse Employment Program (SNEP)
Our annual summer student nurse employment program is a highly competitive and successful program. SNEP is designed for nursing students entering their final year of nursing school. The program offers 30-35 students the opportunity to experience, first-hand, the role of the professional nurse and to augment their clinical experiences during a paid work program under the guidance of RN clinical preceptors.
The nursing student is hired in a CNA role and assumes care for a patient assignment within the CNA scope of practice. An RN preceptor is assigned to work closely with the student to help the student gain more confidence in practice. This 320-hour summer experience enhances the student’s organizational skills and promotes the development of professional communication, selected psychomotor skills, clinical reasoning, and acclimation to the complexity of the health care environment.
The SNEP program has demonstrated achievement in providing career growth opportunities for our internal staff (CNAs entering their last academic year) as well as engaging external students in opportunities at MHMMC Portland prior to their last year that ultimately lead to career choices following graduation. Many progress on to their senior year with practicums at MHMMCP and are often employed as new graduates.