Nursing Program Partners With Community to Implement Neighborhood Influenza Immunization Clinics

Abstract

Service-learning projects provide a valuable service to the community and a valuable clinical experience for nursing students. There are several national studies and initiatives that highlight the importance of partnerships in care and service delivery. This article describes how these were considered and incorporated into the development of a community partnership by multiple service providers to offer influenza immunizations in neighborhood stores. This article is a discussion of a multidisciplinary, community-wide influenza immunization clinic.

Pharmacy-based immunization: a systematic review

“…An innovative immunization strategy with the collaboration of pharmacy and nursing students in local neighborhood clinics to facilitate access to immunization for the elderly has been reported by Evenson et al ( 28 ). In this case study, the influenza vaccination clinics in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in addition to providing walk-in services, organized trucks to transport groups of old adults to clinics and immunize as many individuals as possible.…”

“…Because of the importance of multidisciplinary partnerships to increase access to healthcare services ( 28 ), the complexity of integration, participation, and coordination of multiple stakeholders, such as pharmacy schools, state and national pharmacy associations, pharmacy boards, state health departments, and federal agencies ( 51 ), should also be addressed in innovative ways. Therefore, conducting more theory-based studies is encouraged, focusing on pharmacy environmental factors and organizational characteristics, such as state regulations and immunization educational programs ( 51 ).…”

“…Several mathematical approaches have been proposed to address PBI-related problems, along with various solutions techniques, including hybrid simulation-optimization ( 27 ), queueing approximations for drive-through dispensing ( 28 ), and addressing demand uncertainty through chance constraints. Furthermore, among the models reviewed, some were developed specifically to solve PBI-related problems, and other models, although developed in immunization contexts where pharmacies are not explicitly considered, may be adapted for PBI needs.…”