LEWISTON – A number of local students were honored recently for having completed baccalaureate degrees through USM’s College of Nursing and Health Professions. All of them pursued their studies on USM’s Lewiston-Auburn campus.

Sixteen students completed the baccalaureate nursing program in December, the largest number since the nursing program was extended to the Lewiston-Auburn campus in the fall of 2000.

In addition to the students, who are now eligible to sit for the state board licensure exam, three registered nurses earned their B.S. degrees through the R.N. to B.S. degree completion program, which is also available at USM/L-A.

The B.S. in nursing, offered on USM’s Portland and Lewiston-Auburn campuses, is accredited by the National League for Nursing and the Maine Board of Nursing. Students who enroll in the program based in Lewiston-Auburn are able to complete all academic requirements at USM/L-A and all clinical placements in the local area. No travel to Portland is required.

The program is open to traditional first-year college students and to adult learners. Features of the program include local clinical sites, a community partnership-based curriculum and a coaching program that matches nursing students with local health care professionals.

The R.N. to B.S. option enables nurses who are graduates of diploma or associate degree programs to earn a bachelor’s degree. The program broadens the context in which nursing is studied and practiced and builds on the students’ foundations of professional experience and knowledge.

For more information on nursing programs at USM/L-A, call Lynn at 753-6624, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.usm.maine.edu/lac/nursing.