Nursing
December 17, 2020
UP Nursing Students Will Join Inoculation Effort in January 2021 as Added Workforce
As Oregon welcomes long-awaited vaccines to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Portland School of Nursing (UPSON) is stepping up to assist with vaccination of priority recipients at Kaiser Permanente medical centers. Ten nursing school faculty members are volunteering to administer COVID-19 vaccines next week to frontline healthcare workers at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center in Clackamas and Kaiser Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro. By the end of year, 147,000 doses of the vaccine manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna, once approved, are expected to be delivered across the state according to reports.
“This is a critical time in the course of the pandemic. Our healthcare providers are experiencing burnout and exhaustion, and this is one way we can support them in this time of need,” said Dr. Casey Shillam, Dean of UPSON. “Health systems are focusing all of their resources, including licensed healthcare providers, into providing care for those with COVID-19. Without additional personnel to actually administer the vaccine, we are honored to step in to provide support that will allow them to continue their work in saving Oregonians’ lives.”
When the spring term begins on the UP campus in late January, 30-40 students from UPSON will join the vaccination effort to increase the distribution of the vaccines locally. The students, juniors and seniors in the nursing program, will receive additional training as part of their clinical curriculum to prepare them for the vaccination responsibilities.
“Our students will soon enter the nursing workforce, and they stand ready to take an active role in defeating this pandemic,” added Dr. Shillam. “They understand the public health crisis we are facing, and know the importance of personal responsibility for diminishing the devastating impact our communities are facing. They are the future of healthcare and will lead the way to health and wellness in post-COVID life.”
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