Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic presents a novel public health crisis as well as an opportunity to participate in vaccination efforts at all levels of nursing education. Early findings of the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of nurses show increased levels of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. The COVID-19 crisis has dramatically altered the perception of nursing, and less is known about how shifting roles affect nurses’ perceptions of their role in the pandemic. Purpose: To explore nurses; nursing faculty; and nursing students’ experiences of participating in community-based COVID-19 vaccination clinics as part of the public health response. Methods: Vaccination volunteers were invited to complete an online survey of their clinic experience, including both quantitative and open-ended questions. Results: 51 participants completed the survey, 27 (52.94%) were nursing students. When queried on how confident students felt giving immunizations after one day, mean score was 8.28 (SD = 2.09; Range: 0-10). Participants were also asked how confident they felt in vaccination efforts in the U.S. before and after clinic participation. Prior to participation, mean score was 6.18 (SD=2.29; Range 0-10). After participating mean scores increased to 7.96 (SD=1.70; Range 0-10). 40 participants responded on how their feelings were affected regarding Covid-19 after clinic participation, 90% (n=31) gave positive responses with 32.5% (n=13) expressing hopefulness. Conclusion: Through inclusion of nursing students in a community vaccination effort during a pandemic, clinical skills were enhanced in a unique experience. By collaboratively engaging nurses, faculty, and students, confidence and hopefulness can be developed.
Author Information
Judy Dye, San Diego State University, United States
Amanda Choflet, San Diego State University, United States
Kristiana Cullum, San Diego State University, United States
Michael Gates, San Diego State University, United States
Savitri Singh-Carlson, San Diego State University, United States
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