ENA Urges Emergency Nurses to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine

Association also calls on emergency nurses to advocate for the public to get vaccinated

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (Dec. 15, 2020) – Based on the science and evidence surrounding COVID-19 vaccines, the Emergency Nurses Association on Monday urged all emergency nurses to get vaccinated and encourage others to do so to promote public health.

“Vaccinating front-line emergency nurses truly begins the journey to overcoming the pandemic that has challenged the world for nearly one year,” said ENA President Mike Hastings MSN, RN, CEN. “An emergency nurse’s willingness to get vaccinated will not only help protect them, but will also protect their colleagues, patients, family and friends.”

The association recognizes vaccine hesitancy due to shortened trials and approval times, lack of information, and the need for education on the science behind vaccines. However, being vaccinated is the world’s way out of the pandemic and an understanding of the vaccines will help emergency nurses and the public learn about the safety and effectiveness. To help in those efforts, ENA created new resources to not only address hesitancy, but to describe how these vaccines were developed and what to expect from them. To support the vaccine conversation, ENA:

• Developed three new editions to its existing micro learning audio clips. The latest COVID Bytes directly review the clinical trial phases, explain how the COVID-19 vaccines work and give information on modeling science-driven behavior.
• Plans to release a toolkit featuring print-ready, informational resources that can be displayed or distributed in hospitals to educate health care workers and the public on these vaccines. The toolkit also includes social media-sized graphics anyone can use to amplify their voice about the importance of vaccinations.
• Joined the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project to partner with stakeholders from diverse populations most impacted by the coronavirus to ultimately build the public’s trust and confidence.

ENA, as the premier organization for emergency nurses, is focused on educating and supporting emergency nurses during this pivotal time during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the important role they play in their commitment to care and with promoting public health in their communities.

“As part of the most trusted profession for 18 straight years, emergency nurses must use their voice as public health advocates to help us overcome this pandemic,” Hastings said. “ENA stands ready to support ED nurses lead the charge to knock down vaccine misinformation and combat hesitancy. It’s time to educate to vaccinate.”

To learn more and to access ENA’s COVID-19 vaccine resources, please visit https://www.ena.org/practice-resources/COVID-19.