Practicum

Some students feel that choosing a practicum site is difficult because of misconceptions about what it is all about. If you are having trouble deciding what to request, you are not alone. Here are some tips to think about as you get ready to make a request.

• You will be sent a detailed survey by the clinical coordinator that will ask you to rank your preferred hospital and unit choices for practicum, along with some personal information.

• We recommend that you request a medical-surgical nursing unit experience to achieve the best background in organization and prioritization as well as nursing skills. Since specialty units have a focused patient population and advanced skills which may not allow you to reach the independence you seek, we encourage those with a low GPA or who are struggling with basic skills to choose a med/surg setting rather than a specialty location. 

• If location is an issue due to commuting, please consider this factor and indicate your special needs when completing the request form. Just like clinical placements, we expect that you will have transportation to facilities outside of Portland. Please be aware that you will need to be able to travel to any clinical site that we use and arrange your own transportation.

• You haven't a clue? Think about what is important to you. Is it a geographical area? Size of hospital? Type of care model? Patient population? Readiness to take the NCLEX exam? Ask your advisor, clinical instructor, nurses who know you best, to help you brainstorm. Then, craft what you feel would be best, second best and third best for you.

• We will not place you in a unit in which you are currently or recently employed. You must include information about employment on your request form.

• We will do all we can to place you in your first choices. Realize, though, that there is no guarantee that your requests will be accommodated because:

  • We are dependent on the availability of clinical slots in various hospitals/agencies and do not have control over the decision of an agency to take a Practicum student; we compete with other nursing schools in Maine for these placements. 

  • Slots available are dependent upon what is happening on the requested unit. The unit may have newly hired nurses, activities planned or no availability of seasoned preceptors and cannot accommodate a student at this time.

  • Nursing Directors or Head Nurses have the final say. They know the capabilities of the unit to offer a successful learning experience. It would be unfair to place a student with an inexperienced preceptor or on a unit in the midst of change, or they may ask to interview a student first.

• Student progression through the program, especially in adult health clinical, is also a consideration. If you want a placement in a specialty area and have struggled clinically in the program, it may be a disservice to you and the unit to place you where expectations require a clinically strong student from the start of the experience. As a result, the faculty has the final decision with regard to placement.

• If there are any extra fees associated with your clinical site (i.e., cost of fit testing or additional drug testing), the student will be expected to cover this cost. 

• Most importantly, the goal of practicum to give you the experience you need to graduate and to help build your skills so you can pass your NCLEX. Even if you're placed in a hospital and unit you're not excited about, this is only 7 weeks of your life! No matter where you are placed, you'll get the experience you need and can learn a lot (as long as you keep an open mind). 

• Acadia Hospital (Psych only, Bangor) Acadia Hospital Care Centers and Services - Northern Light Health 

• Bridgton Hospital (Bridgton) Bridgton Hospital | Central Maine Healthcare (cmhc.org) 

• Central Maine Medical Center (Lewiston) Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) | Lewiston, ME | Central Maine Healthcare (cmhc.org) 

• Eastern Maine Medical Center (Bangor) Care Centers & Services - Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center - Northern Light Health 

• Elliot Hospital (Manchester, NH) Elliot Hospital | Services 

• Franklin Memorial Hospital (Farmington) Services | Franklin Community Health Network | Farmington, ME (mainehealth.org) 

• Huggins Hospital (Wolfeboro, NH) Huggins Hospital Services 

• Lincoln Health (Damariscotta) LincolnHealth Miles Campus Hospital | LincolnHealth | Boothbay Harbor & Damariscotta, ME (mainehealth.org) 

• MaineHealth Maine Medical Center - Portland MaineHealth MMC - Portland 

• MaineHealth Maine Medical Center - Biddeford (formerly SMHC-Biddeford) MaineHealth MMC - Biddeford 

• MaineHealth Maine Medical Center - Sanford (formerly Goodall Hospital/SMHC, Sanford) MaineHealth MMC - Sanford | MaineHealth 

• Maine General Medical Center (Augusta) Medical Services (mainegeneral.org) 

• Maine General Thayer Campus (Waterville) MaineGeneral Addiction Medicine | Waterville, ME | MaineGeneral 

• Memorial Hospital (North Conway) Services | Memorial Hospital | North Conway, NH (mainehealth.org) 

• Mercy Hospital (Portland) Care Centers & Services - Northern Light Mercy Hospital - Northern Light Health 

• Mid Coast Hospital (Brunswick) Clinical Services at Maine's Mid Coast Hospital (midcoasthealth.com) 

• New England Rehab Hospital of Portland (Portland) Portland location-Encompass Healthcare 

• Northern Light Inland Hospital (Waterville) Care Centers & Services - Northern Light Inland Hospital - Northern Light Health 

• Northern Light Mayo Hospital (Dover-Foxcroft) Care Centers & Services - Northern Light Mayo Hospital - Northern Light Health 

• Pen Bay Medical Center (Rockport) Services | Pen Bay Medical Center | Rockport, ME (mainehealth.org) 

• Redington-Fairview General Hospital (Skowhegan) Directory Of Services / Redington-Fairview General Hospital (rfgh.net) 

• Riverview Psychiatric Center (Psych only, Augusta) Treatment & Services | Dept. of Health & Human Services | Riverview 

• Spring Harbor Hospital (Psych only, Westbrook) Services | Spring Harbor Hospital | Westbrook, ME (mainehealth.org) 

• St. Joseph’s Hospital (Bangor) Home - St. Joseph Healthcare (stjosephbangor.org) 

• St. Mary's Regional Medical Center (Lewiston) Home - St. Mary's Health System (stmarysmaine.com) 

• Stephens Memorial Hospital (Norway) Services | Western Maine Health | Norway, ME 

• Togus VA Medical Center (Augusta) Togus VA Medical Center | VA Maine Health Care | Veterans Affairs 

• Waldo County General Hospital (Belfast) Services | Waldo County General Hospital | Belfast, ME (mainehealth.org) 

• Wentworth Douglas Hospital (Dover, NH) Wentworth-Douglass Hospital (massgeneral.org) 

• York Hospital (York) Hospital York Maine | All Care Services | York Hospital 

Frequently Asked Questions about Practicum

• Can I arrange my own practicum?  NO students are not allowed to arrange their own practicum! If there is someone in particular you'd like to request as a preceptor (i.e., a colleague on a different unit, former clinical instructor) you will have a chance to note that on your survey. 

• How many clinical hours/day per week do I need to complete? How many hours overall? You will need to complete 154 hours over the 7 weeks of practicum, which typically is 24 hours per week following your preceptor’s schedule. You cannot complete any clinical hours towards practicum until after your first NUR 480 seminar. 

• How do I know what my schedule will be? Schedules are negotiated between student and preceptor, and you all will decide on which shifts you'll be joining them for (most nurses work 8- or 12-hour shifts). You may have the same shifts each week, or if your preceptor has a rotating schedule, it may change from week-to-week. While we will ask you for any absolute scheduling restrictions, we expect you to make yourself available for any shift outside of class time (including nights and weekends). Since you may not have a confirmed placement until a week or two before the clinical is scheduled to start, we suggest you have a conversation with any employer now to let them know about your need for flexibility during those 7 weeks. 

• What if I want to change my practicum request after submitting it?  If you have any changes to your requests after submission, these adjustments are likely not possible due to the amount of time it takes to arrange and confirm placements. If you do need to have an adjustment to your request due to circumstances beyond your control, please notify the clinical coordinator as soon as you are aware of them.

• When will I be notified of my practicum placement? Some hospitals and facilities are able to confirm placements months in advance, others not until the week before Practicum. Each facility handles their onboarding of practicum students differently, and their timelines vary. There is no way to expedite this process or predict how 'likely' a student is to be placed in a particular unit or facility, but the clinical coordinator will notify you as soon as any details are available to pass onto you. 

• Who do I ask if I have further questions about practicum? Please consult your advisor, course faculty or the clinical coordinator for further assistance. We understand how exciting and challenging this process is and we have a lot of experience in helping students achieve the best possible practicum experience. We want to ensure all nursing students are prepared to transition into practice. Thank you!