Nurse Staffing

Staffing plans at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center are based on a broad set of criteria recognized nationally to be important variables in optimum nursing care.

Staffing on individual units is planned by nurse managers with input from staff, with consideration for the acuity of the patients on the unit, anticipated admission and discharge activity, and the skills and experience of the individual nurses. In addition, our nurse staffing model includes certified nursing assistants to assist nurses with their assignments and the care of their patients, creating care teams.

Staffing flexes depending on patient volume and any concerns individual nurses may have regarding assignments are expected to be reviewed and addressed immediately. Along with our full-time staff, we currently have resource nurses available on most of our adult units. A resource nurse is an extra nurse available in case acuity or volume increases.

Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center has created additional flexibility by developing a supplemental staffing team of nurses who are assigned to different units each day based on the needs of our patients. This team allows our Medical Center to more rapidly flex staff as patient volume and acuity change.

Nurses are well supported at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center. Our patients and staff benefit from an approach to staffing geared toward ensuring high quality, safe nursing care throughout the hospital.