Nursing students from Choffin Career and Technical Center helping to vaccinate area teachers against COVID-19
In early February 2021, a vaccine clinic was held in the gymnasium of Chaney High School and around 30 nursing students participated in the event aimed at providing the vaccine to area educators.
A group of nursing students from Choffin Career and Technical Center had 1,100 vaccines on hand to administer to teachers in the Youngstown City School District on February 3. Additional vaccination clinics were offered later in the week at both Chaney High School and East High School. Teachers signed up voluntarily to receive the vaccine and will soon be receiving the second doses. The event was welcomed by both district administrators, who are eager to provide safe working conditions for teachers, and nursing students eager to obtain some hands-on experience and be part of history in the fight against COVID-19.
In an article published by local news station WKBN 27, Melanie Connors, a practical nursing teacher at Choffin, said of the opportunity for her students, "It's the first time since the year started that they get to communicate with the citizens and do nursing duties, so they were excited."
The hands-on training is important for these students, but they also are aware of the historical significance of their participation in vaccination efforts. As one practical nursing program student, Tammy Matthews, said, "I’m excited to say that we are part of history. This is the first time during a pandemic that we’ve ever seen it, that we’re going to be participating in it."
Jessica Cunningham, another practical nursing student from Choffin Career and Technical Center, said, "It's gonna be our future job one day to help and that's the goal, to help everybody and make the world a better place in the end."
Connors went on to talk about the importance of the clinic as an educational tool for her students and of their participation, "I’m very proud of them. I feel it's a challenge with being in a nursing program and then getting an opportunity like this is really great for them to start learning about the reality of the pandemic."
A spokesperson from Youngstown City Schools said, "This has been a long road and this is a little bit of a light at the end of the tunnel finally."