Increasing Intent to Vaccinate for Seasonal Influenza

Background: The community college student is not currently armed with the resources or prevention information regarding influenza. Less than twenty percent of the college population receives influenza immunization annually.Purpose: The purpose of the project was to evaluate if an evidenced-based influenza and vaccine education intervention will affect nursing students' intent to vaccinate for influenza by increasing knowledge of the influenza vaccine using Zingg and Siegrist's Knowledge Scale.Methods: Participants were recruited voluntarily from their attendance at orientation for incoming nursing students on a specific date and time. Utilizing a computer survey, all seventy-seven participants completed an online pretest before an educational intervention, and then, the results were compared following the educational intervention with a posttest. Parametric tests such as a paired t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and percent change were utilized to determine whether an educational intervention was effective in improving influenza knowledge and whether there was a change in vaccination intention.Outcomes and Results: The educational intervention in this project resulted in enhancement of influenza knowledge. The implications of this project demonstrated the value of providing an educational intervention to improve knowledge, intent, and willingness to vaccinate for influenza for nursing students at a community college.