2024 Accelerated New Student Guide 

ACTION STEPS with Deadlines & Important Dates

• • Clinical health requirements are due June 1st - see info lower down on this page for details.

  • Save the date for the Zoom Accelerated Nursing Orientation on May 7th in Zoom from 3:30 - 5:30 PM, the week before classes start.  (We will send you a Zoom link closer to the date).

  • Summer Classes start on May 13th (academic calendar)

  • Tasks to complete before classes start that do not have a specific deadline:

    • • Buy your scrubs and the uniform components before the first day of classes.  You wear these to the 301 and 307 labs.   Click here for uniform info.

      • Read the info below about prior learning evaluations for some coursework and see if it might apply to you.

      • Get a parking permit.  

      • Get your student ID card once you're on campus 

      • Explore the student handbook (the website you're on right now) to learn more about all the parts of your new program!

Summer Registration 

• • You will be registered for classes by the School of Nursing

    • • Because of new student processes at USM, the department will register you for summer classes.  You will not be able to self-register.   

      • Once you confirm your attendance we will register you and email you when it's completed.

      • Registration will be done in late March.

  • You Will Take:

    • • CON 252 human nutrition (unless you have already completed an equivalent course) - 3 credits. 100% online asynchronous course, typically 12 weeks

      • BIO 345 pathophysiology  (unless you have already completed an equivalent course) - 3 credits. 100% online asynchronous course, typically 7 weeks

      • NUR 211 introduction to accelerated nursing - 1 credit, meeting in person for 7 course meetings on Monday afternoons.

      • NUR 300  health assessment - 2 credit lecture, in person course meeting once a week for 12 weeks, Tuesdays 9:30-11:30 am

      • NUR 301 health assessment lab - 1 credit lab meeting once a week for 2 hours in person for 12 weeks, Labs may be on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday

      • NUR 302 pharmacology (unless you have already completed an equivalent course) - 3 credits - 100% online asynchronous course, for 14 weeks (full summer)

      • NUR 306 fundamentals - 3 credit lecture, in person course meeting once a week for 12 weeks on Monday mornings.

      • NUR 307 fundamentals lab - 2 credit lab meeting once a week for 4 hours in person for 12 weeks, labs may be on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday

      • *Sometimes students who have already completed CON 252, BIO 345, and NUR 302 choose to take NUR 356 community health lecture online, or NUR 321 health related research online in the summer to make their future course loads lighter.  This is not at all required but is an option if desired.
        
        

Clinical Health Requirements

• • Due by June 1st.   It's important to start this right away since it can take time tocomplete and may require a medical appointment for titers.

  • Click here for information and how to complete this process.

  • Lindsay Larsen, lindsay.larsen@maine.edu oversees this so please reach out to her with questions.
    
    

@maine.edu Email Use is Required

• • We will not use non-USM email addresses so make sure to check it at least every few days, including over breaks.  Students can miss vital info and deadlines about clinicals and related processes if they're not checking their @maine.edu email frequently.

Prior Learning Evaluations

• • In some cases, you may have taken an equivalent course (or courses) at another university and we can evaluate whether you are eligible to be waived from taking a required USM nursing course.

  • Below is a list of courses we sometimes offer waivers on.  Please follow the Prior Learning Evaluation instructions to submit a syllabus for review if you think any of this might be relevant to you.  

    • • NUR 356 community health - typically 200+ level courses in community or public health are worth looking at for possible equivalency here.  

      • NUR 321 health related research - we can review 200+ level research methods courses from other fields for a possible full or partial waiver.  Key content includes research methods in qualitative, quantitative, and evidence based practice.  If your course(s) don't cover all of those areas sometimes we give a partial waiver and have you take a 1 credit module to cover the part you're missing.

      • NUR 424 clinically applied genetics - must be a 200+ level genetics course or courses taken within the last 5 years.  Because most courses don't include the nursing clinical part of our learning outcomes we do have a challenge exam option for this in addition to a waiver.   We will review your syllabus and let you know if you're eligible to take the challenge exam instead of taking the NUR 424 course itself.

      • NUR 100 or 200 - if you have taken USM's intro to nursing course you will be automatically waived from taking the NUR 211 intro to accelerated nursing.  No syllabus review needed.

Textbooks

• • After you are registered for classes you will be able to go to the USM Campus Store and look up textbooks for each of your classes.   

Technology

• • Logging in to things:  Your @maine.edu login works for everything at USM.  So the same user name and email you have for email will be used for Mainestreet, Brightspace, and other USM services. 

• MyUSM - http://mycampus.maine.edu is the hub that lets you access all the other USM digital services.  When you go to this site you'll see a launchpad of icons on the left where you can then click to access things like your email, google drive, Brightspace, Mainestreet, and much much more.

• Mainestreet is the practical side of USM where you are registered for classes, see your schedule, pay your bill, see your course history, and related administrative sorts of things.  It's the little sign that says "student center" on the MyUSM launchpad.

• Brightspace is our Learning Management System where you'll have a Brightspace course site for every class you take.  It's similar to other systems like Canvas or Blackboard if you've used those before.   Nursing courses make extensive use of Brightspace.  It's fairly user friendly (you can't go wrong by clicking around and exploring).  It's the orange B symbol in the MyUSM launchpad.   Your faculty will also help you learn to navigate their courses.  

  • • Note that you may not see a Brightspace course site for every course immediately after being registered.  Faculty have to publish their courses.  They should be up by 1 week before classes start but may show up earlier depending on the faculty.
      
      

Disability Services

• • USM offers robust support through our Disability Services Center.  Please work with that office directly if this is applicable to you.   https://usm.maine.edu/disability-services-center/ 

People to Know & Support for Questions

• We're so excited to have you join us!   There are several folks who will directly support your progress through the program.  

• Click here to see an overview of School of Nursing folks and what they each do.