The University of Southern Maine is now offering a new nurse practitioner degree in acute care gerontology.
Assistant professor of nursing Valerie Fuller says that currently, most nurse practitioners work in primary care settings.
"We have a shortage of providers in acute care settings, both physician and APRN," says Fuller.
And with Maine's status as a rapidly aging state, Fuller says, the demand for these providers will likely grow to care for adults with complex medical conditions.
“We're still one of the oldest states in the nation, and many of these people have chronic medical conditions that occasionally require higher levels of care," she says.
Other Maine schools offer similar degrees online, but Fuller says USM's program will be the first face-to-face acute care nurse practitioner program.
