Development and evaluation of an interprofessional student-led influenza vaccination clinic for medical, nursing and pharmacy students

BACKGROUND: Students in their final years of medicine, nursing and pharmacy degrees were invited to participate in an interprofessional influenza vaccination training course and clinic. Twenty-four students (8 from each discipline) were selected to participate. After vaccination training these students administered free influenza vaccines under supervision in two student-led clinics to 546 students in health and allied health programs prior to their clinical placements. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the students’ experience of the interprofessional vaccination training and clinic, and to evaluate the experiences of students who received their vaccination in the student-led clinic. METHODS: Before and after participating, students completed a questionnaire evaluating their perceived knowledge of influenza vaccinations, and their skills and confidence in administering vaccinations and the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). Eighteen students completed both the pre- and post-questionnaires. All students who received their flu vaccination were also asked to complete a short patient evaluation survey. RESULTS: The course resulted in significant increases in the students’ perceived knowledge of influenza vaccinations (27.5% increase, p<0.001), skills in managing patients receiving influenza vaccines (23.9% increase, p<0.001) and confidence level to administer influenza vaccines (46.0% increase, p<0.001). While there was no significant change in any subscales of the RIPLS, open-ended responses indicated that the students enjoyed and could see the benefits of meeting and learning with and from students from other health disciplines. Of the students who received their influenza vaccination, 97.7% were very likely or somewhat likely to recommend the clinic to fellow students. CONCLUSION: The interprofessional vaccination training and influenza vaccination clinic provided effective interprofessional vaccination training and afforded an authentic interprofessional experiential opportunity.