KNOXVILLE, Tenn — Nursing students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville are showing true volunteer spirit!
They have helped distribute roughly 5,000 vaccines so far, according to a UT press release.
Starting in fall 2020, the nursing students have volunteered 600 hours to help with COVID-19 vaccine distribution, testing sites, health screenings and saliva testing on campus.
“Volunteering to administer the COVID-19 vaccines has been an incredibly humbling experience,” said senior nursing student Corinne Shapiro of Columbia, Tennessee. “After months of pushing forward in health care despite the challenges, these vaccine clinics have been a glimpse of hope towards a better future. I am so grateful for this hands-on experience and opportunity.”
UT nursing students have distributed COVID-19 vaccines at clinics around Knoxville including Covenant Health, the Knox County Health Department, Cherokee Health Systems, UT Medical Center and Faith Leaders Church Initiative.
“The nursing students were professional and provided excellent care. They were attuned to the needs of the senior populations coming in and worked calmly and efficiently to make their time with us pleasant,” said Bonnie Graham, a member of the Faith Leaders Church Initiative. “I saw kindness, compassion, and camaraderie for a single purpose, which was to vaccinate as many as was possible with the vaccines on hand. This was an extraordinary effort given the time frame and the volume of people coming through on a regular basis.”
In partnership with the Knox County Health Department, UT nursing students also began distributing the vaccine to eligible populations on campus. They will continue to help administer the vaccines throughout the semester.
