UMass Boston Students Helping People Get Vaccinated
Once a week this winter, UMass Boston master鈥檚 nursing student Mirna Flores Raudez would make her way to the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center vaccination clinic. There, she helped Spanish-speaking community members and others receive their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
鈥� Our students are from the communities most impacted by the pandemic and wanted to serve in any capacity to help and heal. 鈥�
鈥淚 wanted to be part of this historic time and give back a bit to all of these frontline workers working so hard,鈥� Flores Raudez said. 鈥淭he opportunity came up to have some clinical hours and more exposure to minority populations. I am Hispanic, and it鈥檚 important to me.鈥�
Flores Raudez, who is graduating in May, said she found the work rewarding.
鈥淏eing in East Boston, there were many people who only speak Spanish. I could help them feel more comfortable with the process by speaking to them in their native language,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ith my nursing education, I could answer their questions and explain any side effects they might experience. They feel better knowing what to expect.鈥�
Flores Raudez is one of many College of Nursing and Health Sciences students who are out in the community, vaccinating the most vulnerable populations while earning required clinical hours. Students are volunteering at clinics across the state administering vaccines and using the skills they鈥檝e learned at UMass Boston to ensure proper post-vaccination monitoring and care.
鈥淲hen the epidemic of COVID-19 limited students鈥� access to clinical sites, many agreed to work as patient care technicians in every hospital in the region,鈥� CNHS Dean Linda Thompson said. 鈥淭hey saw this challenge as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of the solution to a major public health crisis.
鈥淲hen the vaccines were available, our students volunteered to vaccinate. Our students are from the communities most impacted by the pandemic and wanted to serve in any capacity to help and heal,鈥� she said.
Ariane Nicole Theriault, a nursing master鈥檚 student who works in a local hospital, also volunteered at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center with Flores Raudez and seven other master鈥檚 students. She said it was a great opportunity to help make a difference.
Theriault explained how she applied her knowledge learned in the program when dealing with people with preexisting health conditions; people have asked about rescheduling mammograms, concerns about being pregnant and getting the vaccine, whether they still need to wear masks and social distance, and whether they could take a vacation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting in that I鈥檓 able to promote health in that sense and help them,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 received my vaccine at another location. I got no information, no education. It was so different. We really get the chance to do a lot of health promotion while giving vaccinations. We spend a lot of time looking up information and teaching them.鈥�
Theriault said it鈥檚 been a rewarding experience just to interact with the patients.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been great speaking to the patients,鈥� Theriault said. 鈥淎 lot of them have a great story. They tell me how they haven鈥檛 been out and want to see their grandkids, or they want to be able to hug their mom. . . . It鈥檚 a moment for patients to be able to vent a little bit. They鈥檙e happy to be there.鈥�
Both Flores Raudez and Theriault encourage people to get vaccinated.
鈥淲e can help decrease this pandemic and get back to the normal,鈥� Theriault said.
鈥淚 got the vaccine. I have two young children. Once they open it up to children, I鈥檒l have my children vaccinated as well,鈥� Flores Raudez said. 鈥淰accines have been shown effective. We have to trust scientific data.鈥�