One week into the spring semester, College of Nursing students and faculty answered the call for vaccine volunteers. On Jan. 19, 51 students arrived on the opening day of Prisma Health Midlands vaccine site. With the overwhelming number of community members signing up to get vaccinations, numerous other vaccine sites called on the College of Nursing for assistance.
Over the semester, 571 nursing students and 49 faculty members modeled the core nursing value of commitment. Students and faculty volunteered 5,474 hours at Midlands Vaccine sites to improve the health of the Columbia community and to battle COVID-19.
"I volunteered at a vaccine site as my commitment to serve, strengthen, and improve the health of our community," says Kimya Shosan, BSN student. "By doing my part, I contributed to a massive effort that is very fulfilling."
Students delivered vaccines in partnership with:
- Dorn VA and UofSC Veterans Clinic
- Kershaw Health
- Lexington Medical Center
- Mackey Family Practice
- Piedmont Medical Center
- Prisma Health (Gamecock Park)
- Providence Health and St. Joseph Catholic Schools
- United Cerebral Palsy
- UofSC Student Health Center
The sites provided students with a unique opportunity to work in critical community health settings. Students rotated tasks and were exposed to a broad range of duties such as patient intake, health assessment and patient communication. Eligible students also practiced intramuscular injections, which is a skill students rarely perform in the acute care setting, as most medications are oral or IV.
"I grew in my ability to give intramuscular injections, but I also grew in my ability to communicate with patients and calm them as vaccinations can be scary," says Lea Swinton, BSN student.