Fayetteville State University

To increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence, project leaders created an online course titled Building COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Among Nurses and Nursing Students, and in the Community. The course includes learning modules created to empower and boost confidence among students and nurses. Content focuses on communication strategies to equip nursing students with sound knowledge and concise and factual verbiage to promote the vaccine. The modules also include case studies and simulation activities to help students prepare for engaging with the school’s diverse campus and community. To provide opportunities for students to engage in conversations regarding vaccine hesitancy, the nursing school used their mobile recreational vehicle unit at town hall events on campus to share credible COVID-19 vaccine information and resource materials and foster conversations to address vaccine misinformation. In addition, the school partnered with the Southern Regional Area Health Education Center to provide continuing education using an online self-paced course for nurses titled Empowering Nursing Students and Nurses to Build Healthier Communities.

Curriculum Resources

• Fayetteville State University created three asynchronous PowerPoint presentations to provide students, faculty, and Champion Trainers (students) information about COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccinations, communication strategies, and motivational interviewing. The PowerPoint presentation served as a primer for their townhall event. PowerPoint resources:
  • Program Overview and Module Questions
  • Module 1
  • Module 2
  • Module 3
     
• Fayetteville State University shared these PowerPoint presentations with the Southern Regional Area Health Education Center, who distributed the presentations to healthcare professionals as an online self-paced course Empowering Nursing Students and Nurses to Build Healthier Communities. This continuation education opportunity will allow 500 participants to receive 3 contact hours at no charge.
   
• The Champion Trainers participated in a simulation activity where they had an opportunity to engage with other students and move through scenarios in a safe environment. These simulations allowed Champion Trainers to role play the experiences of an African American young male college student and a Native American older female. Simulation resource:
  • Case Study

Learning Opportunities

• Fayetteville State University held a townhall event on campus. They had mobile outreach units in place by the student center and dorm housing. Champion Trainers engaged the university community in factual discussions about COVID-19 and vaccinations. This event was held in conjunction with a vaccination event offered by another provider providing the perfect opportunity for willing individuals to get their vaccination.
   
• A PowerPoint presentation designed for healthcare professionals and created by the research team was distributed by Southern Regional Area Health Education Center. There were three PowerPoints with voice-overalong with short tests before and after each PowerPoint. The PowerPoints focused on COVID-19 factual information, communication and motivational interviewing, and case study examples.

Successes

• The biggest factor contributing to the success of Fayetteville State University’s project was student enthusiasm. The students enjoyed talking to their peers and family about COVID-19 and having the opportunity to learn more about COVID-19 vaccination. Dr. Aprel Ventura feels “the communication strategies they learned, because of their participation in this project, will help them to provide better nursing care and improve patient outcomes.”

School at a Glance

• Location: Fayetteville, North Carolina
   
• School Type: Public University
   
• Partners:
  • ​Southern Regional Area Health Education Center
       
• Faculty Contact: Dr. Aprel Ventura