Deploy nurses to help

The covid-19 pandemic is one of the greatest challenges our country has ever faced, but there is hope. We now have effective vaccines that can prevent the disease from spreading and save hundreds of thousands of lives here in the United States alone. As a nation, the challenge before us is to ensure that a critical mass of people across the country receive covid-19 vaccines, and that they are given promptly, safely, and equitably to high-risk populations, including the most susceptible and most vulnerable.

The reasons for the delays in getting vaccine to our population are many and include issues such as vaccine and storage availability, inadequate planning and communication about vaccination opportunities, but also lack of trained staff to administer vaccines. We offer here a solution to this last challenge: nurses—trusted health-care professionals.

All nurses are licensed to give shots. Public health nurses are more broadly trained and have a proven track record in the planning and implementation of immunization campaigns. Nurse educators in schools of nursing train students to administer injections, and their students welcome the opportunity to practice their skills. Retired nurses have a wealth of experience and expertise to offer. With minimal just-in-time training necessary about the unique guidelines for managing covid-19 vaccine distribution, they can be quickly mobilized to achieve the new president’s goal of 100 million by May 1.

Nurses are well-equipped to partner with others and follow established guidelines on vaccine distribution, to organize the immunization registry process, to assist in the coordination and set-up of administration facilities, to address recipients’ questions and concerns, to help educate the public, and to give the injections. Nurses can get those vaccines out of freezers and into arms!

ZENOBIA HARRIS Little Rock Zenobia Harris is president of the Association of Public Health Nurses.