Perhaps you are not on the front lines today—but you will be in the future. Nursing students have a role to play in both being vaccinated and educating others about the vaccine. You may even be helping to vaccinate the public as a volunteer and for clinical credit.
For every vaccine administered across the country, in most instances, there will be a nurse on the other side of the syringe. "Whether in hospitals, or making logistical decisions behind the scenes, nurses will be the driving force of distribution efforts in the United States, providing immeasurable value and needed perspective from the boardroom to the bedside and everywhere in between," said Dr. Stephen Ferrara, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, Interim Executive Director, Jonas Nursing & Veterans Healthcare. "Consistently ranked by the public as the most trusted profession in the healthcare landscape, nurses are in a unique position to provide the public with the facts during this time of confusion."
For the public, nurses represent the face of this vaccine. Working together, we have the power to educate our families, patients, peers, colleagues, and friends about vaccination and safety measures.
First step is to learn as much as you can about the vaccine so that you are ready to answer questions. One target audience for vaccine education is your fellow college students. Get your chapter involved. Look at these trusted resources to begin learning more.
