In 1985, the Maine State Nurses Association voted to adopt an American Nurses Association's recommendation that would have required nurses to get a Bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) before practicing as registered nurses. According to the American Nurses Association, the Maine state legislature originally drafted legislations supporting the recommendation, but backed off after opposition from groups such as the Maine Health Care Association and the Long Term Care Nursing Council.
Despite the lack of a legislative imperative, more and more Maine nurses are heading back to school to get BSN degrees. Today, entry-level BSN grads outnumber entry-level ADN grads in Maine, and increasing numbers of ADN grads are heading back to school to complete their Bachelor's degrees. According to a report by the University of Southern Maine, 33.1 percent of Maine nurses now hold a BSN as their highest nursing degree, while 30.6 percent of Maine nurses hold an ADN as their highest degree.
RN to BSN programs for Maine nurses include:
- University of Southern Maine. The University of Southern Maine offers a collaborative RN to BSN completion program with the University of Maine. The collaboration allows students to potentially take distance coursework offerings and receive credit.
- University of Maine at Augusta. RN to BSN programs offer high-level nursing classes and general education credits. The BSN completion program at the University of Maine - Augusta also teaches students important self-care strategies. Students may participate in monthly healing circles and learn to direct some of their care and compassion toward themselves.
- St. Joseph's College of Maine. The RN to BSN program at St. Joseph's College is entirely online; no campus visits are required.
