Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGODCHES, Texas — As COVID-19 vaccinations arrive in Nacogdoches, students from Stephen F. Austin State University’s DeWitt School of Nursing are lining up to help administer the vaccine to community members.
Fourth-semester nursing students from the community health course administered doses of the Moderna vaccine provided by Brookshire Brothers Pharmacy to approximately 450 pre-registered participants. The School of Nursing partnered with Nacogdoches County and the City of Nacogdoches to work the walk-through clinic.
“We have a phenomenal relationship with the city and the county,” said Michelle Klein, clinical instructor in the School of Nursing. “The responsive leadership, respect for each other, open communication, and sharing of ideas allows us to be most effective in identifying and meeting the needs of our community. For our nursing students, these relationships allow them to actively participate in improving health and to see the difference they can make.”
Students in the School of Nursing are extensively trained on how to give injections from their first semester and participate in a fall flu vaccination clinic each year through a partnership with the East Texas Community Health Services. As more COVID-19 vaccines are allotted to Nacogdoches, the School of Nursing hopes to be of assistance with additional large-scale vaccination opportunities.
“I am so proud of our faculty and students in the DeWitt School of Nursing as they volunteer their time to administer COVID-19 vaccines,” said Dr. Kimberly Childs, dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics. “True to our commitment as a community-engaged university, faculty and student nurses are stepping up to meet the needs of the community. Together, we will protect our community as we strive to prevent the spread.”
To learn more about the School of Nursing, visit sfasu.edu/nursing.