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S P R I N G 2 0 2 3 / W O R K F O R M E 27 McDonald says the UNE pro- gram uses impressive technolo- gies such as virtual reality to make training scenarios more realistic and give students feedback on their decisions in real time. He hopes to land a nursing job at Maine Medical Center in Portland, where he already works as a CNA. While he understands the difficulty of dealing with illness and death at work, McDonald says it's a field that allows him to really make a difference in someone's life. "Even if it's remembering something that your patient likes, or making them comfort- able in bed ... or even just holding your patient's hand and talking to them," he says. "Focusing on the small things is probably one of the most important things you can do for them, and for yourself." Aroostook County native Jillian Flynn took a different avenue, enrolling in UNE's physician assis- tant (PA) program. Growing up in a small town with a family doctor for a dad, Flynn says she learned from a young age the different roles health care professionals can play in people's lives. "I shadowed a bunch of people: optometry, dentistry and a PA," she says. "I really fell in love with the role that a PA has on a medical care team," which involves work- ing closely with patients. Flynn described UNE's two- year PA program as "medical school, really fast." She hopes to take her education back to rural Maine after graduation – although she also sees the appeal of living in Portland. "There are underserved areas everywhere," she says. "The need for any medical profession right now is huge." Full-court press Northern Light Health, Maine's second-largest health care sys- tem, has taken a three-pronged approach to filling needed posi- tions that includes "recruitment, retention, and growing our own," says Catharine MacLaren, vice president of talent and diversity. "I think of it as doing all the things," MacLaren says. "There's no one thing that's going to meet all our objectives. … If we try something and fail, we fail fast and move on." A decade ago, hiring managers would rely on a "post-and-pray" approach, she says, which in- H e a lt h C a r e C O N T I N U E D O N F O L LO W I N G PAG E » There are lots of career opportunities available in Maine right now. It's the perfect time to explore your options through free classes and individual coaching from New Ventures Maine. Interactive classes are online and in person. Visit our website to choose a class. You want to change careers. New Ventures Maine can help. 207-621-3440 newventuresmaine.org hmscareercoaching.com Get in Touch! By t h e n u m b e r s Maine's health care and social assistance sec- tor comprised roughly 4,950 establishments employing 102,500 workers in the third quarter of 2022, according to the Maine Department of Labor's Center for Workforce Research and Information. Those workers were earning an average wage of $1,200 a week, about 9% higher than the state- wide average of $1,100 a week for all employment sectors. n Maine's health care sector has stepped up efforts to reduce current and projected shortages of nurses, physician's assistants, physical therapists, radiologists and other medical jobs. Employers say wages and job security are better than ever in these lifesaving professions.

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