Leah Eldridge helps at a vaccine clinic.
By Kim Lamb GregoryTears welled up in the patient鈥檚 eyes as 海角社区CI Nursing senior Carina Fasano swabbed the older woman鈥檚 arm and injected her with a vaccine鈥攁nd hope.
鈥淚 saw the smile in her eyes and she thanked me and then teared up,鈥� Fasano said. 鈥淪he said 鈥業鈥檓 so excited to see my family again!鈥� And I couldn鈥檛 help but tear up too.鈥�
Fasano is one of about 250 Nursing students in their second, third or senior year who vaccinated thousands of people against COVID-19 after this winter鈥檚 massive vaccine rollout.
Some gave injections during public vaccine clinics, while other students took health histories, made calls or did anything else they could to assist the health care workers in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties and the City of Los Angeles.
鈥満＝巧缜鳦I Nursing students have been an integral part of the County of Ventura鈥檚 response to vaccinating our public,鈥� said Ventura County Public Health Officer Robert Levin, M.D. 鈥淧lenty of people say they are interested in helping to vaccinate but these students show up. We are grateful for their partnership.鈥�
鈥淭hey amaze me,鈥� said Program Chair and Professor of Nursing Lynette Landry, Ph.D., R.N. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e willing to jump right into the fire鈥攖hey want to contribute. When most of us are afraid to go to the supermarket, there they are, right out on the front lines. I am so proud of them.鈥�
Ashley Hayes, who finishes 海角社区CI鈥檚 R.N. to B.S.N. (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program in December of 2021, is fully aware of what it means to be on the front lines of a pandemic.
鈥淚t feels hopeful, it feels stressful,鈥� Hayes said. 鈥淚t feels like we are making history and that we are having our community involved in this history. It鈥檚 a great feeling.鈥�
Nursing student Sarah Wilson gives Marie Terzll a vaccine
Training to be a nurse during a pandemic has its pros and cons, according to Landry.
鈥淭hey will come out with a unique set of skills other students haven鈥檛 gotten because they are being trained during a worldwide pandemic,鈥� Landry said. 鈥淚n another sense, they鈥檝e been deprived of the clinical time and time in the lab that they need to graduate.鈥�
Working in the simulation lab on the Goleta campus helped students log clinical hours, and when area health care facilities called for volunteers to help out during the pandemic, it created a perfect opportunity for students to get in-person experience with patients.
鈥淭he practice is great not only for their nursing skills, but for their personal interaction skills鈥攂eing able to talk to patients, maybe put them at ease if they鈥檙e nervous about getting a shot,鈥� said Nursing Lecturer Nancy Mitchell, R.N.
Before volunteering, Nursing students were trained at either the Ventura County Public Health Department, Cottage Health, St. John鈥檚 Regional Medical Center, St. John鈥檚 Pleasant Valley Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, the City of Los Angeles or the Los Angeles City Fire Department.
Nursing student Joshua Gonzalez administers a vaccine
鈥淐ottage is very appreciative of the 海角社区 Channel Islands Nursing students who have helped staff our vaccination clinics,鈥� said Laura Canfield, Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer for Cottage Health.
鈥淭his is a talented group making a significant contribution to protecting our community.鈥澛�
Class of 2021 Nursing student Aimee Proffitt was one of the students who participated in a drive-up vaccination clinic offered through Cottage Health in Goleta.
Proffitt even vaccinated her grandparents and her mom through an open car window.
鈥淚 was so excited, I could barely stay professional,鈥� Proffitt said. 鈥淣ot only were they isolated because of COVID and their age, my grandma is partially deaf and blind. A year ago, I never imagined I鈥檇 be giving my own grandparents (and mom) a shot to prevent this bizarre virus that came through the world.鈥�
The experience of volunteering during a pandemic reminded Nursing student Rebecca Warden why she chose to become a nurse.
鈥淚t feels huge 鈥� it does! It doesn鈥檛 seem like it in the moment and then you take a look back and it鈥檚 like, we鈥檙e doing so much for everyone,鈥� Warden said. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited. Everyone鈥檚 excited.鈥�
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漏 Spring 2021 / Volume 26 / Number 1 / Biannual