Portland-based University of Southern Maine received $2.5 million in public and private funds, which will allow the nursing school to increase capacity, according to NBC affiliate WCSH.
An expansion of the school's nursing simulation space will be funded by $1.5 million in bond money and an additional $1 million from the Boyne family, longtime supporters of USM's School of Nursing. USM told WCSH that the school will build a new simulation center and interprofessional education facility, doubling the nursing simulation space over the next five years.
"This new, advanced facility will provide a major competitive advantage for USM, helping to attract high-quality students and provide innovative, interprofessional student learning experiences in state-of-the-art environments," Brenda Petersen, PhD, MSN, RN, associate dean of the USM School of Nursing, told WCSH.
By 2025, Maine is estimated to be short 2,700 nurses, a key reason Maine voters approved a $25 million bond investment in USM in November 2018, USM told WCSH.