Nursing students at the University of North Georgia’s Gainesville campus thought they would complete their clinical experience virtually this semester due to the pandemic. Instead, they’re getting experience in the field and they’re helping fill a staffing need by administering COVID-19 vaccines.
“We started the semester the second week of January, and I had no clinical sites for them,” said UNG nursing professor Nina Myer. She prepared her 83 students to learn remotely this spring. Then, her department received a request. Alan Satterfield, the public health director for Georgia’s second region (Northeast Georgia), needed more staff to help distribute COVID vaccines. Myer jumped at the chance.