With the opening of the new 12-bed Zimmerli Pavilion slated for early 2016, St. Andrews Village Director of Nursing Cathryn Rayle, RN, is looking for registered nurses, certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and medication technicians.

Named in honor of Rev. Dr. Mary Jo Zimmerli, a beloved minister and former LincolnHealth trustee, the Zimmerli Pavilion is expected to open in late February. The dually-licensed beds will increase the capacity of the Gregory Wing by 40 percent and allow people from the Boothbay region to stay close to family and friends when they need either skilled rehabilitation or long-term care.

The new staff will largely be responsible for providing skilled care, helping people who have recently been hospitalized make the transition back home. Rayle said the new positions offer a unique opportunity.

“To me it is very exciting. We want people with positive energy as well as experience,” she said. “From a nursing point of view, it is being in on the ground floor.”

Nurses and CNAs work 12-hour shifts from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the Zimmerli Pavilion. Medication technicians work eight-hour shifts.

The Gregory Wing offers a fast-paced, team-oriented environment in a facility with a reputation for providing a high level of personal care.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Nursing Home Compare Website gives the Gregory Wing five stars, its highest rating. The Gregory Wing also has five stars in each of the three components used to calculate a facility’s rating – health inspections, staffing and quality measures.

Elizabeth Barter, RN, clinical nurse manager at St. Andrews Village, said the new beds will offer CNAs who are hoping to build their skills the chance to gain experience in a variety of different clinical situations.

It is also a great environment for someone who is considering nursing school, said Rayle.

Through a partnership with Central Maine Community College, the LincolnHealth Education Center in Damariscotta offers the CMCC Nursing Program locally. The CMCC program has the lowest tuition rates of any nursing program in the state and an excellent academic reputation. Scholarships are also available, including one provided by the St. Andrews Auxiliary.

For more information about the openings at St. Andrews Village, call LincolnHealth Human Resources at 563-4550 or visit www.lchcareers.org.