More than 100 nursing students from UTRGV have been volunteering their time and gaining experience in the field by helping administer COVID-19 vaccines to the community.
According to Clinical Associate Professor and Community Engagement Coordinator for the UTRGV School of Nursing, Nancy Nadeau, the students have been assisting the vaccine clinics since late January.
Nadeau said the hours the nursing students have volunteered combined are over 1,800.
“I have always [had] my nursing students providing vaccinations in collaborations with public health,” she said.
Nadeau said the students volunteering not only help the community but also allows the students to gain hours they need to become a registered nurse and gain valuable skills they will need in the field.
Nursing Senior Leah Asebedo is one of the students who are helping with the vaccine efforts. She reveals what pushed her and her fellow classmates to help out.
“We were ready to help…we always knew that this is our job, we’re gonna help the community, and we’re gonna do this down the line,” Asebedo said.
She also explains that volunteers were given the choice to be vaccinated beforehand. She also adds that they are required to wear N-95 masks as well as scrubs and a face mask to protect themselves and others from possible infections.
According to Asebedo, each student volunteer is assigned a role such as check out, whose responsibility is to console patients after receiving the vaccine or someone who administers the injections to people.
Nursing student Crystal Martinez shares what she has gained from this experience.
“I guess just confidence in interacting with the client,” Martinez said.
Martinez feels that the participation from her and her fellow nursing students have made a huge impact in administering the injection .
“There’s been some days where it’s like, if we weren’t there, I don’t really know who else they could have called for reinforcements,” she said.
Asebedo also thinks they are making a difference.
“Everyone I have met at the vaccination process, they always tell us they’re happy to see us…they’re happy that they’re not only receiving the vaccination but aiding us to provide us experience,” Asebedo said.
