Committee unanimously supports Sen. Daughtry bill to increase Maine’s nursing workforce

AUGUSTA — On Thursday, the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee voted in favor of a bill from Sen. Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, to grow Maine’s nursing workforce by investing in nursing education programs. An amended version on LD 1807, “An Act To Expand Nursing Education Programs,” received unanimous support from present committee members.

“Even before the pandemic, our hospitals and clinics were in a crunch to find and hire nurses. As Maine’s population grows, and grows older, that will only increase. This bill will help ensure that Mainers who want to become nurses have access to the education they need, which means our hospitals will have more qualified candidates right here in Maine to hire,” said Sen. Daughtry. “I’m thankful to all the groups and experts who shared their input on this bill, and to the committee for supporting it.”

LD 1807 would allocate ongoing funds to the Maine Community College System to expand their nursing education program to hire more faculty as well as enroll more students. Without nursing programs that are consistently enrolling students, Maine will not meet its workforce demands. Ensuring that nurses live and work in Maine starts with helping them get their degrees right here, which means there is a real need to invest in public nursing programs and support faculty at state schools.

“Increasing the number of nursing seats available to Maine’s residents is a benefit to the state’s healthcare providers and the livelihood of Maine citizens. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates the average salary for registered nurses in Maine ranges from $56,000 to $78,000. Demand for nurses is causing the average salary to increase rapidly. Expanding our nursing programs creates an opportunity for more Mainers to train for meaningful, good-paying jobs,” said David Daigler, President of the Maine Community College System, in testimony supporting the bill.

“This year I have been inundated with requests from employers seeking to hire our nursing graduates,” said Kathleen McManus, chair of the nursing program at Central Maine Community College, in testimony supporting the bill. “Each year we experience nearly 100% job placement for our nursing graduates. Our graduates are able to obtain great paying nursing jobs with benefits. In my experience, most graduates, if not all, stay locally in the same facilities where they did their clinicals. Increasing enrollment in nursing programs is an investment that will not only benefit the healthcare industry, but as importantly, benefit the citizens of Maine.”

LD 1807 is also supported by the Maine Nursing Action Coalition, the Maine Nurse Practitioner Coalition and Northern Light Health.

The bill now faces votes in the Senate and House.

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