PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (May 6, 2021) – When the Covid-19 pandemic impacted universities around the world, nursing students, including Jared Fremin, a junior in Prairie View A&M University’s (PVAMU) College of Nursing, found themselves with fewer opportunities to put their clinical skills into practice. Although students were enrolled in nursing programs, those in the early phases of their educational preparation could not apply theoretical knowledge in clinical settings.
However, when the vaccine rollout gained speed this year, PVAMU’s College of Nursing saw an opportunity to partner with Waller County to provide much-needed vaccination support to the community. Nursing students were given the green light to provide care during this challenging time. In partnership with Waller County and PVAMU’s Student Health Services, the College of Nursing participated in six vaccine clinics on March 4, 5 and 17, and April 1, 14 and 29.
“I participated in the vaccine clinic twice where I was administering vaccines,” Fremin said. “My role in the clinic was essentially helping to organize the vaccines with paperwork for the patients, as well as explaining to them about first and second doses. I even had a few people who came for their second dose the second time I was present, and they would request me specifically to give them the shot.”
At each event, anywhere between 15 to 45 nursing students and 4 to 6 nursing faculty volunteered in the administration of first and second vaccine doses. Antonea’ Jackson, Ph.D., RN, CNE ’04 ’09, clinical assistant professor and coordinator for PVAMU’s LVN-BSN Program, was one of the faculty members supervising the clinics.
“The students have been excited to get frontline, hands-on experience through their participation in the vaccine distribution events,” she said. “Senior students have recognized how much they have learned throughout the program and have been able to serve as peer mentors to beginning students. Beginning students have expressed feeling like ‘real nurses,’ especially as the number of face-to-face experiences may have decreased due to the pandemic.”
An average of 700 to 800 doses of the vaccine were administered at each event. At one clinic, students were able to vaccinate more than 1,000 people.
“I thought the number of people that showed up was a little unexpected. I was thinking maybe 10 or 20 people, and it ended up being hundreds by the end of the day,” Fremin said.
Prior to the events, student volunteers received theory and skills training on proper intramuscular (IM) injection administration. They also received same-day training on the vaccination process and documentation, specifically for the Moderna vaccine.
“As a nurse, it has been wonderful to participate in this experience,” said Jackson. “As CON alumni, I have such pride in the program and the university for serving as partners to ensure our community has access. As faculty, it has been wonderful to observe the maturity of the students across the program for the professional manner they have participated in and provided excellent care and customer service.”
Not many people realize the PVAMU College of Nursing was established, in part, to train nurses during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. It was originally a two-year nursing diploma that started in 1918 and was extended to a three-year program in 1928. By 1952, it became a full professional baccalaureate program and has grown and evolved into today’s robust undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. These Covid-19 vaccine events continue the college’s century-long history of serving the community during a global health crisis.
“The fact [is] that over the course of 100-plus years, the College of Nursing has both survived and thrived, and hopefully in another 100 years we will be doing the same and more,” Jackson said. “Being able to participate in vaccine distribution events is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for students and faculty alike. Both have expressed gratefulness in serving the community in this capacity.”
Jackson stressed the importance of strengthening community health and reducing the rate of Covid-19 through actions such as getting the vaccine, observing social distancing, and frequent hand hygiene.
“My biggest takeaway was knowing that what I was doing was to help the greater good of our society, so we can, as a whole, get past this virus. I would gladly participate again and enjoyed my time at the clinic,” Fremin said.
Additional clinics may be scheduled at a later date, depending on additional vaccine allotment coming into either PVAMU or Waller County.
By Jocelyn Kerr
-PVAMU-