A Shot of Hope

By Serena Bumpus, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Director of Practice, Texas Nurses Association
Region 7 Director
CTONL President
 
The week of December 14th, 2020, gave nurses the first glimpse of hope at fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare organizations across the state received first round doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, and healthcare workers began to receive their first dose of what many considered the beginning to an end. Social media was flooded with nurses and other healthcare providers getting their vaccine with the hashtag “This is my shot.” Many saw the COVID-19 vaccine as our shot of hope toward regaining some sense of normalcy.

In the past week, Texas surpassed 2 million people vaccinated with one dose, and nearly 670,000 are completely vaccinated with two doses. Nearly 3 million doses have been administered. This is something to celebrate; however, we still have a long road ahead of us.

The American Nurses Foundation conducted a survey of 13k nurses about their intent to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Almost half of the respondents indicated they were not comfortable discussing the COVID-19 vaccine with their patients, yet over 65% of the survey respondents indicated they cared for COVID-positive patients. In addition, only one-third indicated they planned to be first in line to get the vaccine while the other one-third indicated they might, and another one-third said they had no intentions of getting the vaccine at all.

Texas COVID vaccine rates indicate the current uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers aligns with the American Nurses Foundation survey data. These findings highlight educational gaps and the need to ensure nurses and the rest of the healthcare team are provided with the most up-to-date information regarding the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. The role and value of nurses is in the spotlight. We are the most trusted profession 17 years in a row. How successful will our vaccination efforts be if nearly half of our profession chooses not to be vaccinated?

Nurses have an opportunity to lead the COVID-19 vaccine efforts by not only being role models for getting the vaccine but also educating each other and the public on the safety and efficacy of current and future vaccines. Accurate education and information can be found on the Texas Department of State Health Services website, the CDC website, and the FDA website.

Serena Bumpus, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Director of Practice, Texas Nurses Association
Region 7 Director
CTONL President