Student Jessica plays her part in delivering vaccine programme
A STUDENT from Long Eaton has stepped up to support the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccine to patients.
Jessica McMullen is a University of Nottingham PhD pharmacy student and an independent pharmacy prescriber at a GP surgery in Giltbrook.
She received an email asking for pharmacists to help administer the vaccine shortly after it arrived at local hospitals.
Around her day job, Jessica is now working up to 12-hour shifts on weekends at King’s Mill Hospital to help ensure the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine is stored correctly before it is administered.
The 34-year-old said: “I was so excited by the arrival of the vaccine I signed up for a weekend shift straight away which I could fit around my PhD studies and general practice commitments.
“The day before my first 12-hour shift, which I haven’t done in a long time, I was asked to attend the vaccination centre at the King’s Mill Hospital, for a run through of the protocols and procedures.
“In preparation for the shift I had to complete a number of online training modules specific to the Covid-19 vaccination. I have been vaccine trained for five years now and make sure that my immunisation, anaphylaxis and basic life support training is updated on an annual basis.
“There was one clinic room in operation on the day and a pharmacist had to be present at all times so the vaccinations could be administered.
“Our main role was to ensure that the vaccine had been transferred from the ultra-low temperature freezer to the fridge three hours prior to use. Each vial had to be checked and accounted for and taken out of the fridge 10 minutes prior to reconstitution and keep out of direct light.
“The correct timings needed to be recorded as the reconstituted vial must be used up within six hours. Needless to say we got through each vial in a matter of minutes, never mind hours, as the flow of patients kept coming.
“The patients and staff were in good spirits, some patients even asking to have their picture taken whilst they were receiving the vaccine.
“For some, this was a keepsake of their experience in this significant moment in history and for others it was a way of encouraging their loved ones and carers to also get vaccinated. The excitement and gratitude was palpable and we experienced no serious side effects on the day after delivering nearly 250 doses.
“We actually ended up with an abundance of pharmacists compared to nurses so I was able to use my vaccination training to help deliver the vaccines alongside the nursing team.”
The student again gave up her time over the weekend.
Dr Matthew Boyd, associate professor in patient safety and pharmacy practice at the University of Nottingham, said: “Jessica is a great ambassador for the University and an example of how important pharmacists are to the roll out of this vaccine.
“We’re very proud of the work she is doing and Jessica also demonstrates how PhD students can successfully combine research with their work as a registered health professional.”