To impact vaccine confidence among college students, nursing students, and practicing nurses, faculty developed and utilized two virtual escape rooms based on CDC resources. The escape rooms for nurses and nursing students included content on vaccine hesitancy and how to build vaccine confidence through learning activities, including motivational interviewing, to promote effective vaccine confidence conversations with patients and community members. The nursing school and its partners disseminated the escape rooms to critical access hospitals, health departments, and community colleges. Additionally, program administrators and nursing faculty created social media, radio, and print messaging templates for their partner organizations to tailor, distribute, and promote to their respective populations.
To increase vaccine confidence among the community, college students, and healthcare professionals, especially nursing students and nursing faculty, McKendree University developed Virtual Escape Rooms and PowerPoint Presentations. Motivational Interviewing vignettes are incorporated into the Virtual Escape Rooms and PowerPoint Presentations for healthcare professionals and nursing students. Video Testimonials from rural frontline nurses, nursing leaders, and rural community members are integrated into the Virtual Escape Rooms and PowerPoint Presentations. McKendree University shared these resources with Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network, Southern Illinois Public Health Consortium, and four community colleges in Southern Illinois.
To reach organizations and communities in Southern Illinois, McKendree University created a Social Media Toolkit and templates for Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network and Southern Illinois Public Health Consortium to disseminate to their member organizations.
Through McKendree University’s project, there was increased vaccine knowledge among the target populations due to the dissemination of the Virtual Escape Rooms, PowerPoint Presentations, and other COVID-19 resources. The project positively impacted nursing students’ skills in having effective conversations regarding vaccine confidence through motivational interviewing with the development of the motivational interviewing vignette. To reach rural and underserved population, McKendree University broadly disseminated accurate and evidence-based vaccine information through social media and print platforms with the development and dissemination of the Social Media Toolkit to McKendree University, Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network, Southern Illinois Public Health Consortium, and four community colleges in Southern Illinois. These strategies also sustained and continued to solidify the school’s academic-practice partnerships and leverage new partnerships.