BANGOR – A national shortage of nurses is expected to have an impact in Maine, says the head of Husson College’s nursing program.

Dr. Barbara Higgins, chairwoman of nursing at Husson, said there’s a shortage now, but it will hit the hardest in the next 10 to 15 years.

The looming shortage stems from a combination of factors. The graying baby boomer generation will need more care. At the same time, current nurses and those who teach nursing are getting older.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing says the shortage of registered nurses will increase to 340,000 by 2020. However, the number is much smaller than earlier projections of more than twice that figure.