The Script: Student pharmacists give thousands of flu shots at one-day event
COPHS Staff |
The annual 12-hour vaccination marathon known as Flulapalooza took place on Sept. 27, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Lipscomb’s College of Pharmacy faculty and student pharmacists comprised 60 percent of the immunizing staff throughout the day.
There were a total of 108 immunizers with 64 being Lipscomb student pharmacists. Seventeen student pharmacists assisted by opening Band-Aids and attaching needles, plus six faculty and two residents were on hand supervising and instructing the students.
The Lipscomb student pharmacists gave 7,741 shots out of the 13,938 that were given at Flulapalooza this year. Each student averaged administering about 125 flu shots during a two-hour shift, with one student working two shifts and giving a record 350 shots.
From the students’ viewpoint…
By Catherine Amey
Two weeks prior to the start of the first semester of pharmacy school, we were presented with a great patient care opportunity to participate in the immunization of all of the employees and students at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center against the flu. This massive event is also known as Flulapalooza.
As first year students, we were certified as immunizers approximately two weeks prior, making Flulapalooza the first exposure I would have to immunizing on a mass scale. This upcoming event was a daunting prospect because we had only practiced vaccinating techniques on our classmates.
On the day of Flulapalooza, I was anxious, nervous and excited for the event. We arrived half an hour early for a brief training to ensure that we were well prepared. I was scheduled to vaccinate for a two-hour period under a massive tent filled with what appeared to be never-ending lines of people. The flow was extremely fast-paced and reminiscent of a processing plant conveyer belt.
There were people from all kinds of backgrounds including several seasoned health care professionals who came through my station. I received many compliments from a number of nurses and physicians about what a great job I did injecting the vaccine. This helped to boost my confidence and balanced out the occurrences where the patient bled more than expected, and before I knew it, my scheduled two hours was up.
As I reflect on the experience, I realized that although I had left feeling traumatized and overwhelmed with the whole process, I was grateful to have had this opportunity quite early. Not many others before me have been as fortunate to be part of a large-scale flu clinic in their professional careers thus far.
Specifically, my preceptors and upper classmen who were unable to participate have been in awe and expressed how they too wish they could have been part of an event like Flulapalooza. Additionally, I have become more comfortable with giving vaccinations at my introductory pharmacy practice experiences.
To learn more about the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences click here.
To read more articles from The Script December 2017 issue click here.