Results of Year Two: Utilizing Student Nurses for Mobile Flu Shot Clinics

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends “annual influenza vaccination for all persons aged ≥6 months in the United States”. There is a need to provide access to secondary and post-secondary students to increase influenza vaccinations, as well as other groups in the community. During the 2010 and 2011 flu seasons, to increase influenza vaccinations, B.S.N. students completed supervised 66-hour community clinical internships on a mobile health clinic. Through collaborations with the Department of Nursing, Student Health Services, and Student Affairs a mobile health clinic demonstrated an innovative method of delivering influenza vaccinations to college students. Each year during flu season, the Mobile Health Unit (MHU), as part of a national demonstration project, was parked in selected locations on campus for flu shot clinics. During four clinics in 2010, 431 students were vaccinated. During ten clinics in 2011, 491 students were vaccinated. These mobile health flu clinics were conducted with minimal cost and minimal use of paid clinical staff. Using this method, there was an increase in influenza vaccinations in the student population. With more than 55 million secondary school students and an estimated 18 million college students in the United States (Department of Education), could utilization of mobile health clinics increase accessibility and serve as a cost effective method to provide preventive services? Discussion will include the possible increase in student accessibility and decrease in cost by incorporating B.S.N. students, as interns, within secondary and post-secondary healthcare delivery systems.