Nurses Must Set Example On Vaccines

It’s no secret that the medical community, and specifically nurses, have been on the frontlines of this global pandemic since day one. We have carried a significant weight during this crisis, but our work is not yet over. With mandates and recommendations lifting, it’s more critical now than ever that we are setting an example for others by getting vaccinated.

Even with so much misinformation out there, people still trust and value the opinions of medical professionals. Research suggests that people are more likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine when their healthcare providers are vaccinated and when we are proactively encouraging them to do so as well.

As nurses, we are the experts in our field. We know that the COVID-19 vaccines were created in sound science. We also know that when people are vaccinated their risk for life-threatening COVID-19 symptoms and hospitalizations significantly decrease. Let’s share that knowledge that, at the moment, is so powerful.

COVID-19 vaccines are widely available now, free, and easy to obtain. We encourage our fellow nurses to talk with their family, friends, and patients about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. We can’t wait any longer.

Delanor Manson, MA, BSN, RN
Chief Executive Officer
Kentucky Nurses Association/Kentucky Nurses Foundation/Kentucky Nurses Action Coalition

Ruth Carrico, PhD DNP APRN FNP-C FSHEA CIC
Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases School of Medicine, University of Louisville
Immediate Past President, Kentucky Nurses Association Board of Directors