Meeting Community Needs While Modeling Adaptation in Disaster Nursing Education

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Annual mass immunization clinics have been conducted by undergraduate students for over 15 years.
• The clinic provides opportunities for students to develop public health leadership and management skills.
• In 2020, the campus community expected the clinic to continue despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt and implement the annual mass immunization clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To ensure the continued provision of essential public health services in a safe manner.

Main Methods:

• The clinic was modified to comply with COVID-19 best practices.
• The immunization clinic was moved outdoors to facilitate social distancing (6 feet).
• The clinic operated as a gloveless procedure, with mask usage enforced.

Main Results:

• A total of 2,870 influenza vaccines were administered within an 8-hour period.
• The adapted clinic successfully served the campus community.

Conclusions:

• The modified mass immunization clinic model was effective in a pandemic setting.
• This adaptable model was subsequently utilized for COVID-19 vaccine delivery.