Nursing students' reflections on vaccine administration during the COVID-19 global pandemic

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many nursing schools limited in-person clinical instruction to lower the risk of student exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Some U.S. state boards of nursing authorized virtual learning experiences to attempt to fill this void. The effects of restricting such hands-on training are not fully understood, but we believed it could be detrimental to student development and saw partnering with local COVID-19 vaccination clinic as a promising alternative. Between January and April 2021, second semester pre-licensure nursing students assisted at the clinic and submitted reflections on the experience. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of this educational encounter. METHODS: One hundred seventy-one students submitted reflections on their experience, which were de-identified and uploaded to a HIPAA- and FERPA-compliant cloud storage system using SAFE desktop and coded for thematic analysis. RESULTS: Analysis revealed five major themes: community, socializing, perceived confidence, impact, and professional role. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the viability of instruction at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic as an alternative learning experience for nursing students encountering restricted face-to-face clinical training. It suggests that schools can develop other novel clinical experiences to increase students' perceived confidence, provide opportunities to practice skills, and gain insights into nursing practice.