Nurses Care 2022

MAY 6, 2022 A Special Advertising Section of the Bangor Daily News | Friday, May 6, 2022

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NURSES CARE • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • May 6, 2022

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ational Nurses Week is celebrated each year in the United States. The American Nurses Association notes that the week begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12, which coincides with International Nurses Day, a global celebration designed to highlight and celebrate the contributions nurses make to society. May 12 also marks the birthday of Florence Nightingale, an influential 19th century British nurse who many consider the founder of

modern nursing. Celebrations honoring nurses across the globe have taken on greater meaning in the past two as the world continues to confront the COVID19 pandemic, during which hundreds of nurses have died from the virus while countless others have contracted it before eventually returning to work to continue helping those in need. This year and every year, we celebrate the important work nurses do and the bravery they show each and every day.

NURSES CARE • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • May 6, 2022

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COURTESY OF CARY MEDICAL CENTER

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ursing is one of the most professionally, personally and spiritually rewarding careers.

People are driven to this career for a variety of reasons, but one reason rings true for most nurses — they love to help people.

Nurses have seen it all, from newborn to old age. They are experts in the human body and human spirit. It’s a career that provides many benefits, challenges and purpose. Now is the time to be in nursing, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the nursing profession will grow faster than the average job market over the next 10 years.

“My passion is caring for people,” said Christie Ewing, RN and OR/PACU manager at Cary Medical Center.

“Good nurses have a heart for the patient and it’s not all about the work, but about the patient and the love that we have for the patient. That is why I went into nursing, because I wanted to care for people.”

Ewing has been a nurse at Cary Medical Center for 20 years and explains, “At Cary we also work hard to succeed at mentoring nurses because we need to be there beyond the 90 day orientation. We have each other’s backs and never stop the training process.”

Many nurses stay in this field for so long because they experience a high level of job satisfaction. The 2019 American Mobile Nurses Healthcare survey found that 81% of nurses were satisfied or extremely satisfied with their career choice.

The field of nursing is diverse in both work environment and specialty. A nurse can find a career in various workplaces like schools, long-term care facilities, family health centers and hospitals to name a few. They can choose to work in a specific area of interest such as pediatrics, operating room, oncology and emergency care. For someone who likes to learn and expand their career, nursing is a great choice.

Finding a job in a place that supports growth and continuing education is key to job satisfaction. A certified nursing assistant can continue their education to become an RN-BSN or even a nurse practitioner.

“I started my career as a CNA in OB and the med/ surgical floor, and after that I participated in the grad program that we offer to new nurse grads where you can start working before you take your boards,” said Kendra Voisine, RN and nurse educator at Cary Medical Center.

“One of the great things I love about my job at Cary is that no matter the day or no matter how late you may go home at night, we have a team that pulls together to make you stronger in the end.”

Nursing is a career that is challenging, interesting and makes a difference in people’s lives daily. New nurses can be confident they made the right career choice, and those looking for career options should explore a future in health care.

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NURSES CARE • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • May 6, 2022

Meet Our Nursing Hero, Nancy Alyward, RN, Nurse Case Manager

BY SARAH COTTRELL

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ou might be surprised to know that within the busy halls of Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, miracle workers are blending in with their plain uniforms and schedules that stretch out for miles. We got a chance to catch up with Nancy Aylward, RN, Nurse Case Manager from Grant 6 Oncology/Respiratory Unit. We learned about the delicate balancing act of her daily nursing duties that make her skills and heart of gold truly miraculous.

Aylward has been in nurse case management for 21 years, but her nursing career stretches back more than 46 years, making her experience and knowledge of patient care incredibly valuable.

“Our main focus is the coordination of care from the time a patient comes in from the emergency room to the time

they are discharged,” Aylward explains.

“Our role is to determine the level of care for a patient. We help to facilitate tests and everything from imaging to labs and consults, and we help determine the level of support for each patient.”

To understand the complexity of Aylward’s job, it is best to imagine an air traffic controller. When a patient requires acute care, it falls to Aylward to determine what that care will look like and what order they will receive it. She must coordinate with her team, outside agencies and the patient’s family to ensure that every aspect of a patient’s road to recovery is paved as smoothly as possible. And that kind of expertise requires her to wear many different hats.

As a Nurse Case Manager, Aylward has to look at many aspects of a patient’s

case to help give them the best possible care. This doesn’t just include connecting that patient with doctors and tests. She also coordinates with patients’ families to understand what kind of support they can offer and deals with insurance companies to make sure a patient can receive the care they require.

“We have different agencies that we utilize daily so that if someone doesn’t have that insurance coverage, and we know that they’re probably going to need that, we can try to help.” That may mean connecting them with MaineCare and other resources to see if they qualify for insurance.

She also connects patients with their next level of recovery, so it doesn’t mean their care ends when a patient is discharged.

That may include

rehabilitation, nursing home care or heading home.

Knowing how to coordinate care for a patient with an acute health crisis requires Alyward to have a firm understanding of many types of nursing.

“I’ve been a nurse for many, many years, so I’ve done a lot of different jobs,” she says. “I’ve worked in NICU, I’ve done home infusions, a lot of different clinical positions.”

All of those experiences helped her to become an effective Nurse Case Manager.

“If you can understand clinically what is going on with a patient, then you can help facilitate what they need and best determine where they are going to go from here,” she says.

Aylward explains that the field of nursing has changed significantly since

NURSES CARE • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • May 6, 2022

her first days back in the 1970s; from the ebb and flow of nursing shortages to the evolution of moving away from hierarchies and moving toward medical teams.

“I think our role in nursing has changed from years back when a nurse was defined by a hierarchy. We don’t see that as we did many years ago. I think we work as a collaborative group much better,” she says. “The transformation over the years is remarkable and has been awesome to see. You know, I’ve traveled all over the country nursing.

I’ve seen nursing on the west coast, the east coast. I’ve seen a lot of good things happen in nursing. I think nurses are educated well; it’s just a different world than it was back in the 70s.”

So what is it about nursing that keeps her there? For Alyward, it is all about her patients.

“I think nursing allows you to be part of a medical team, trying to figure out what is happening with a patient as they are coming in and where you’re going to go with that direction of the patient and what the acute needs are,” Alyward says.

“It also allows you to work with patients and families and how you can help them go through this crisis, and provide

avenues for them to make their own choices because the goal is to make them independent.”

For those thinking about a future in nursing, Alyward has some encouraging insight. She explains that not every nurse is an excellent fit for bedside clinical work, but that’s ok because the field of nursing has exploded over the years, and now there are more paths than ever to find a satisfying career.

“With a degree in nursing, you go toward education, clinical position, administration, public health nursing, research; there’s a lot of different roles that nursing has taken on over the years.”

After 46 years of care, there are a few memories that stand out for Alyward that she will eventually take with her into retirement.

“Thinking back over the years, I worked in the NICU working with the babies and the mothers and families, and watching them,” she shares. “These babies are going through a crisis, and watching them going through that continuum and watching them leave at some point, that follows you and feels good to know you’ve done something good.”

Alyward says that she tries to focus on one good thing that she was able to do to help a family every day. And after 46 years of nursing, many have asked her when she thinks she might retire. But don’t hold your breath because this energetic and motivated nurse is here to stay.

“Someday I will retire, I guess,” she laughs. “As long as I like what I’m doing, and as long as I am productive and I can contribute, then I’m always feeling happy about that.”

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NURSES CARE • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • May 6, 2022

BY CRYSTAL SANDS

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ursing has always been a difficult and important job, but in the last two years, as our nation has grappled with a pandemic, our country has seen just how valuable nurses are at saving lives and keeping our healthcare system functioning. But, according to recent studies, our nurses are struggling.

According to a study from Nurse.org, a nursing shortage in 2022 looms because nurses are simply exhausted and burned out. According to the study, 87 percent of nurses said they felt burned out in the last year, and 84 percent said they were underpaid.

Staffing shortages in nursing add to burn out, which often leads to more staffing shortages. The COVID-19 pandemic was hard on nurses, and it’s important to recognize that working conditions for nurses ultimately impact all of us. Without a strong workforce in the field of nursing, none of us would be able to receive quality medical care.

With national shortages an ongoing struggle, the nursing programs in our area are working hard to train nurses at

all levels to meet the demands of our healthcare system in the coming years.

In the Bangor area, the University of Maine, Husson University and Beal University are all taking steps to ensure we have a strong nursing workforce in our area and beyond.

Dr. Kelley Strout, interim Associate Dean of Health Science and Associate Professor of Nursing at the University of Maine, said enrollments in the University of Maine Nursing program have been steady in the last five years, with no increase in applications since the pandemic. However, Strout emphasizes that they are working to expand their enrollments in their graduate programs.

“We have a critical shortage of nursing faculty statewide,” Strout says. “Only 8% of the total nursing workforce in Maine has earned an advanced degree in nursing, and the majority of the 8% are Family Nurse Practitioners providing primary care across the state.”

Strout says the University of Maine has worked to create engaging and important specialty programs in the graduate school

in order to attract more advanced nursing students. She says the Master of Science in Nursing program now offers specialty tracks in public health, leadership, aging, nursing education and more. Moreover, with the exception of the Family Nurse Practitioner program, all options in the graduate program are now offered online, which makes the programs more accessible to nursing students across the state. Strout added they are currently waiving application fees to the program. “We truly cannot graduate more entry-level nurses across the state without increasing our pool of advanced practice nurses who are prepared to educate the next generation of nursing students,” says Strout.

This effort to create more nursing educators aligns directly with the needs of the nursing program at Beal University.

Dr. Colleen Koob, Dean of the School of Nursing at Beal, says enrollments in nursing have been down in the past year but that the program just enrolled a maximum number of students for the May program start. However, there are still concerns about meeting the demands for nurses.

“One of the biggest issues with enrollment is the need for nurse educators,” Koob says. “We need our fulltime faculty to have a minimum of a Master’s of Science in Nursing. We do not have enough Master-prepared nurses to educate the nurse of the future.”

While the expanded and more flexible program at the University of Maine can definitely help fill this gap, Koob says that Beal University has also started a Master’s of Science in Nursing program.

Koob says that finding clinical sites also remains a challenge in graduating nurses.

“It is difficult to find enough sites willing to work with the many different nursing programs across the state. Scheduling these clinical rotations in numerous facilities is one of the most difficult things any nursing program faces,” she says.

Koob says Beal University continues to make efforts to meet the growing demand for nurses. Beal has launched a program in Wilton, which is now in addition to their program in Bangor. Koob says, looking to the future, the immediate needs are for students to become more aware of the Wilton offerings, for more clinical sites and for more nursing educators.

At Husson University, Dr. Valerie

Sauda, Undergraduate Nursing Director and Associate Professor of Nursing, shares Dr. Koob and Dr. Strout’s concern about the need for more nursing educators.

Dr. Sauda says there is certainly a demand for advanced programs for nurses, as the world sees a growing demand for nurses as the pandemic wanes. Sauda says enrollment in Husson’s programs have been steady but that there is movement “in the upward direction” for enrollment in the Bachelor’s program for the upcoming fall semester.

Like the University of Maine and Beal University, Husson’s programs are focused on creating flexibility for all students who are interested in becoming nurses. Husson University is also offering online options for students, as meeting the demand for nurses is of the utmost importance.

“Recruitment to nursing has been continuous and ongoing throughout the pandemic experience over the last two years as we experience increased demands for nursing across the U.S. and the world,” Sauda says. Fortunately, Husson’s recruitment efforts have been successful.

“We are now seeing an increase in applicants who are interested in changing careers to ‘give back’ in a meaningful way to help others at times of most vulnerability, as well as seeing high school students seek an opportunity in nursing that will prepare them for a career that offers flexibility, diversity of opportunities across the career and financial stability.”

In terms of recruitment needs, Sauda emphasizes the need for applicants with diverse backgrounds to address changing healthcare needs in our state and across the country.

As the world works to find some kind of normalcy at the end of a two-year pandemic, the field of nursing is surely looking even harder toward normalcy.

The last two years have been particularly hard on our nurses at all levels, but we are fortunate to live in an area with three strong nursing programs from three respected universities. Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, and the University of Maine, Beal University and Husson University are all working hard to ensure that we have enough nurses to keep our systems running and to keep all of us in good hands when we need medical care.

NURSES CARE • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • May 6, 2022

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NURSES CARE • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • May 6, 2022

BY EMILY MORRISON

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s the oldest child growing up in Wisconsin during the 80s, Mary Elsa Theobald contemplated going to Middlebury College and becoming a Spanish teacher. Her father, a university professor, had a different idea. When the family moved to Kentucky during Theobald’s junior year of high school, he suggested Mary Elsa become a nurse. The army was giving out lots of scholarships to nurses; Spanish teachers, not so much.

If it weren’t for an appointment Mary Elsa had with an NP at her doctor’s office, she might never have discovered her father was onto something. Theobald felt

less intimidated speaking with the NP and realized, “She provided the same treatment for me that my doctor could provide. I knew that I wanted to do what she was doing.”

When Mary Elsa turned 18 she was accepted to Vanderbilt, enrolled in ROTC, spent 4 years as a cadet, and received her BSN. After another 8 years in the reserves, where she became a captain in the U.S. Army, Theobald received her MS from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Fortunately for Mainers, since that time Mary Elsa has worked for the last 27 years as an FNP in a rural health clinic.

One of the major challenges Maine faces is attracting enough medical professionals like Theobald to rural areas to provide adequate healthcare.

Because of this shortage, Mary Elsa’s days are fast-paced. At her clinic, “we have two doctors, one FNP, an RN, two medical assistants, two PSRs, a counselor, a care manager and an office manager. We prepare for the next day either in the evenings after seeing patients or early in the mornings before patients. We review charts, make sure that we have lab and imaging reports and notes from specialists. During the day the phone never stops ringing.”

Performing primary care during a pandemic has not been easy, but Theobald has found plenty of rewards. Reflecting on the impact of her position she explains, “My mentor used to remind me that every time we immunize someone we are saving a life.”

At the height of Covid-19, Theobald spent all day on her feet vaccinating somewhere between 800-1,000 Mainers at a shot.

“Before the vaccine was available, like many people, we were concerned about contracting COVID and subsequently infecting our families,” Mary Elsa reflects. “Then, there were the extra hours at work. It seemed like all of my coworkers were covering many jobs just to cover the needs… I think that many of my coworkers would agree that one of the most difficult things for us was that once the vaccine was available, some patients

did not want to take it…The number of deaths that could have been prevented is tragic. At this point, after more than two years of Covid, it remains hard to understand why some people don’t trust the science.”

Making peace with peoples’ personal decisions, Theobald has learned that whatever judgments one has about how someone will respond to something, “throw that out the window in a pandemic because reactions are deeply personal and often unpredictable.”

Focusing on the positives, Mary Elsa has discovered her workplace did a great job at caring for patients and each other.

While they were isolating, her coworkers were the only people she saw outside of her family. Crediting her own family for helping her through, Theobald says, “My family was funny and helpful and I’m glad we were together.”

When it comes to helping others through their health issues, Theobald reminds her patients, “Everyone is working on something. My job is not to judge but to help people live their healthiest lives.”

As for her Spanish teaching career, Mary Elsa’s happy to learn a Spanish word of the day online and keep saving lives one patient and one immunization at a time.

NURSES CARE • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • May 6, 2022

COURTESY OF MOUNT DESERT ISLAND HOSPITAL

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hroughout the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses at Mount Desert Island Hospital and around the globe have worked tirelessly to ensure that people who need help are cared for with compassion and expertise in an environment of constant change.

“Nurses are our seen and unseen healthcare heroes, battling the COVID19 pandemic from the frontlines, adapting their practice daily,” said Karen Mueller, Chief Nursing Officer at MDI Hospital. The World Health

Organization designated 2020 the Year of the Nurse and extended this honor into the 2021 calendar year to pay tribute to the immense resiliency that has been displayed by nurses worldwide.

Building on the Year of the Nurse extending into 2021, the American Nurses Association expanded National Nurses Week to National Nurses Month for May 2022. The theme this year is “Nurses Make a Difference.”

“Day after day our nurses have reported to work, regardless of the risk of

possible COVID-19 or other infection.

They’ve sacrificed their health to treat the larger community and devoted their time to maintain high levels of job competence. Throughout the pandemic, OB, family practice, emergency, med surg, and school nurses have displayed exemplary behavior for operating within the unknown,” said Mike Kiers, Director of Health Centers.

In tandem with other healthcare employees, nurses have pivoted their practice to re-learn and administer procedural change throughout this public health crisis. As they continue to work through the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, many nurses are also working towards clinical excellence in the form of program certifications, graduate and doctoral degrees, and many other professional growth opportunities.

“By initiating fresh protocol to target and maintain COVID-19 safety precautions, a number of policies were devised by nurses for which best practice can be delivered to both patient and staff

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divisions. These policies continue to be modified regularly to maintain CDC and Maine-state standards. An immense volume of work, this team-wide collaboration is the only way to certify efficient and effective hospital care,” said Chris Costello, MS, RN, CEN, Director of Emergency Services at MDI Hospital.

Operating on lengthy, concentrated shifts, nurses work tirelessly to map the designated needs for each patient on their service. Due to their devotion to clinical excellence and relationship building, nurses have become the gateway to care for many patients. “Nurses are truly the backbone of the healthcare system,” said Mueller. “Without the persistent advocacy of the nurse, patients may be without a voice. The nurse stands as a remarkable and unique position: pivoting between patient relationships and provider care. Their traits of generosity and kindness permit for the physical, mental, and emotional care for all they encounter. Thank you nurses for all that you do!”

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NURSES CARE • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • May 6, 2022

NURSES CARE • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • May 6, 2022

COURTESY OF MILLINOCKET REGIONAL HOSPITAL

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n recent years, the demand for registered nurses in the United States has increased while the number of nurses in the workforce has declined. This is especially prevalent in rural America and a real issue right here in the Katahdin Region. Of additional concern, the nursing population is predicted to continue to decline in the coming years.

When Deb Rountree, Director of Eastern Maine Community College’s Katahdin Higher Education Center, recognized the current and projected shortage of nurses in the Katahdin Region, she sprang into action.

Through a partnership with Eastern Maine Development Corporation, Maine Department of Labor, Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) and Millinocket Regional Hospital (MRH), a ‘training in place’ program was created in 2019 to bring EMCC’s high quality nursing

program to the people in the greater Katahdin Region. Upon completion of the program, graduates can obtain well-paying jobs almost immediately.

“The need for quality trained, highly skilled nurses is imperative to the future of the region’s healthcare as well as providing economic and community development benefits,” said Rountree. “The pandemic has proven the critical need for nursing and healthcare workforce around the country, especially in Maine’s most rural areas, with an estimated 9% job growth by 2030.”

The nursing program is offered in its entirety at the Katahdin Higher Education Center in East Millinocket, eliminating daily travel to EMCC’s main campus in Bangor. Students are connected to the Bangor campus’s nursing classroom and complete the majority of their clinical hours at Millinocket Regional Hospital.

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MRH Registered Nurse, Dyana Gallant, of this local nursing program is critically serves as both the Clinical and Lab In- important to maintaining a highlystructor for the program, providing guid- trained nursing workforce in our rural ance and education in the classroom, and area of our state,” Peterson stated. “This hands-on training and supervision at the has minimized financial and logistical hospital. Gallant says this new partner- barriers associated with nursing educaship between MRH and EMCC could not tion. This focus has proven to be very successful in attracting new students to have come at a better time in her career.

“The students and their palpable ex- the program and thus, bringing new nurscitement renewed my energy when I was es to our hospital.”

The success of the program speaks for questioning my own role and direction in itself. The first class of Katahdin cohort the profession,” said Gallant.

Gallant believes the future of nursing nurses will graduate on May 13, 2022. and healthcare in general is determined Some of those nurses will begin their caby what is being done today. She credits reers at MRH, the very hospital essential her mentors for their impact on her to their educational foundation.

The second Katahdin cohort of nursing early in her career and aims to have a similar impact on her students. She goes students will begin in the fall 2022. Those on to say, “My students will soon be my interested should contact Deb Rountree peers, and I want them to know they be- at (207)746-5741 or dvoisine@maine.edu. long here from the very first day.”

Dr. Bob Peterson, CEO of Millinocket Regional Hospital, emphasized the importance of this educational opportunity for aspiring nurses and thanked Rountree and Gallant for their outstanding Millinocket Regional Hospital would like to congratulate student nurses Amanda King, work in developing Emily Hannington, Jesse McIntyre, and Jessica Pelkey (pictured here with their this program. instructor, Dyana Gallant, RN) on their upcoming graduation and wish them success “The development as they embark on their nursing careers.

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NURSES CARE • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • May 6, 2022