News Releases

USM Nursing Students Program on End-of-Life Decisions

March 27, 2007

Contact: Lois Hamel, Assistant Professor, USM College of Nursing and Health Professions
207-780-4223

Adult and family nurse practitioner students from the University of Southern Maine are planning an End of Life Decision-Making Health Fair at 75 State Street's Assisted Living facility in Portland in response to requests from the residents. The fair will be held from 3-5 p.m., Tuesday, April 3, near the coffee shop inside the Gray Street entrance of the facility. The fair is also open to the public. 

“Living wills and advanced directive planning is best done when people are healthy, understand what options are open to them, and share their plans with family members,” said USM Assistant Professor of Nursing Lois Hamel. Hamel’s graduate students are planning the fair as the service-learning component of her class this semester.

Student presentations on "End of Life Decision-Making" will take participants on an informal one-on-one walk through the health fair. Those wishing to learn more about end-of-life decisions can participate in a group discussion session from 4:30 – 5 p.m.

Topics to be covered at the fair include: pain management; symptom management; communication of decision making; antibiotics; ventilators; tube feeding; CPR/DNR, ethics; grief; and cremation.

Nurse practitioners are recognized primary care providers by Medicare and most insurance companies. In Maine, new nurse practitioners work under supervision of a physician for two years and then are able to apply for independent practice status. The University of Southern Maine has consistently prepared master’s-level students for the adult and family nurse practitioner roles. For more information about these and other graduate nursing program options see USM College of Nursing and Health Professions Web site at http://www.usm.maine.edu/conhp/.

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