Students in FRCC’s associate degree in nursing programs are helping on the front line with COVID-19 vaccinations. Over the last couple of months, our nursing students have helped vaccinate more than 3,000 people in the communities we serve—from Denver to Fort Collins and beyond.
While FRCC’s use of simulations and clinical rotations in local hospitals complement the on-campus instruction our students receive as part of their degree completion programs, participating in these COVID vaccine clinics provides the students with further, critical real-world experience.
Vaccine Clinics Around Denver…
More than 40 students from the Westminster campus have helped staff five vaccine clinics at Denver Health. According to Westminster Nursing Chair Kathy Trummer, the biggest clinic managed to deliver shots to 1,200 people. The other four clinics each vaccinated 500-600 individuals.
During the clinics, students got to help with patient education, administering vaccines and monitoring for any side effects. Faculty member Karina Lahue and several nursing instructors helped oversee the students at the clinics.
… And in Northern Colorado
Approximately 20 associate degree nursing students from our Larimer campus have also been assisting with local vaccination clinics. They started back in January by helping staff UCHealth clinics in the area, according to Larimer Nursing Chair Mark Longshore. Students are now working with Salud Family Health Centers, which recently set up a vaccine clinic at the Senior Center in Fort Collins.
Each student has gotten to give about 30 shots—with faculty members Jane Beard and Sue Ihlenfeldt also helping out. Students who aren’t yet qualified to give injections still get to participate by checking people in and monitoring for allergic reactions after individuals get their shot. What a great experience for FRCC’s nursing students!
Helping Protect Our Communities
In addition, several other FRCC faculty members—as well as some students—have been volunteering on an individual basis at other mass community vaccination clinics. We truly appreciate everyone’s hard work protecting our friends and neighbors. Keep up the great work!
Of course, participating in these COVID vaccine clinics also creates an authentic experience for our students. I am so proud of their commitment to provide care, compassion and quality health care to members of our community. Our students and faculty are providing an essential service to the community during an extraordinary health crisis. And they are learning along the way.
Health Care Education Matters Now More Than Ever
Health care is the No. 1 industry for job openings over the next 10 years, and FRCC has seen a rise in students who are expressing interest in health care and nursing careers. We hear from our community business partners that demand is high for all kinds of trained health care professionals—from nurses to dental assistants.
These are some of the reasons that FRCC just opened a new state-of- the-art Health Care Careers Center. The two-story, 61,000 square-foot facility now houses all of the health care and nursing education programs that our Larimer Campus offers. This new center, located in Fort Collins, will train the frontline workers who give you high-quality care when you need it most. And for students in the Denver metro area, we offer many of the same programs at our Westminster and Boulder County campuses.
FRCC offers high-quality education to students seeking to work in this growing field. For more about FRCC’s health-related and nursing programs—including our new online Bachelor of Science degree in nursing—visit our health sciences & wellness webpage.
