by Lauren McGuire, Student Public Relations Writer
Cedarville University nursing students have the opportunity to help serve on the frontlines of history.
Every Wednesday through April 21, nursing students will help administer the COVID-19 vaccination to members of the community at Russ Research Center in Beavercreek, Ohio. The student nurses will be working from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Sophomore nursing students who have completed their validations and senior nursing students are serving at the vaccination clinic. Since Cedarville nursing students are not yet licensed, clinical faculty are accompanying each group of students to the vaccination clinics.
Some of the faculty attending include clinical adjunct instructors Caren Michael, Shannon Jacobs, Erin Richter, Kim Davis, Michelle Clark, Ginger Domer and Ruth Mosher. Approximately 10 students have the opportunity to go every week and sign up on a first come basis, following regulations that require a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
“Our students get to be on the frontlines to give back, helping eradicate COVID-19 and getting people vaccinated,” said Dr. Angie Mickle, dean of the school of nursing. “Battling COVID-19 is our new normal, and they get to be in the heat of battling it and getting information out to the community on why it’s important to be vaccinated.”
Student support was the initiative of the Greene County Public Health Department and Springfield Health Department. Both contacted Mickle for student involvement with vaccine distribution.
Students who help at the clinic must complete three training programs beforehand. The specific training can be found on the CDC website and Foodallergy.org. Students are also required to complete training through the Federal Emergency Management Institute (FEMA).
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,550 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, strong graduation, and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.