Apr 26, 2021
Vancouver, BC – Langara College Bachelor of Science in Nursing students are gaining valuable experience while contributing to the collective fight against COVID-19.
Recently, almost 50 Term 7 students spent time assisting at mass immunization clinics as part of their clinical practice in Community/Public Health. Six students per day, accompanied by an educator, would work at clinics from 830 am-5:30 pm. The students worked at the Blusson Clinic at Vancouver General Hospital.
For nursing student Eldridge Sia, assisting first-hand allowed him to apply skills learned in the classroom.
“I’ve learned about previous pandemics, but only by living through one could I fully understand what it really meant. Imaginary scenarios can only do so much. It’s only when you are there, actually doing the care in person, when you can put your knowledge to the test,” he said.
Nursing knowledge and expertise contributes to every aspect of the mass vaccination clinic experience. The students prepared for the clinics by completing mandatory multiple modules from BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), and then reviewed the process with their Clinical Educator. This included obtaining informed consent, immunization technique, siting (deltoid muscle), and after care.
“Nurses are the unseen force behind the vaccination efforts at clinics across the province. We’re proud to see our students getting this experience and making a difference in their communities,” said Pat Woods, an instructor in the Langara nursing program.
The opportunity to make a difference in the community motivated the students.
“I feel part of something that palpably uplifts not just my community, but the world. The sense of camaraderie was strong, and it was like everyone in the room knew that what we were doing was making a tangible difference,” added Sia. “The faces of relief on the clients I saw finally getting the vaccine was all I needed to understand the significance of what we were doing.”
For more information on the students' experience, please contact:
Mark Dawson
Manager, Public Affairs
mdawson@langara.ca
