{"id":1771,"date":"2021-04-07T09:28:09","date_gmt":"2021-04-07T13:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/magazine\/?p=1771"},"modified":"2021-04-20T12:35:46","modified_gmt":"2021-04-20T16:35:46","slug":"emergency-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/magazine\/emergency-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Emergency Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

UTC nursing students give hundreds of COVID-19 vaccinations at local clinics.<\/em> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

by Shawn Ryan<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

T The schedule was rough, but\u202f UTC \u202fnursing \u202fstudent Phan Nguyen knew he was doing something important, so he hung in there.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A\u202f first-year\u202f nursing student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga,\u202fhe had \u202fvolunteered to give\u202fC OVID-19 vaccinations\u202f at CHI Memorial Hospital <\/s>located east of\u202f downtown and at\u202f the\u202f Hamilton County Health Department site in the \u202fRiverPark on Chattanooga\u2019s Amnicola Highway.\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nguyen was on winter break, so he didn\u2019t have to squeeze classes into the equation, but neither was he\u202f skiing down slopes or just hanging out.\u202f His days usually included\u202f a shift at CHI Memorial, another at\u202f the health department, and then home, dinner, shower,\u202f sleep. \u201cThen repeat the regimen,\u201d he says.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nguyen was not alone in the\u202f marathon.\u202f Eight \u202fnursing students from UTC volunteered to give\u202f COVID-19 \u202fvaccinations at CHI Memorial. \u202fIn \u202fshifts that usually ran \u202ffour \u202fhours\u2014although they could be six-\u202f or even eight-hour \u202fshifts\u2014some days would mean upwards of 200 vaccinations, \u202fthe \u202fstudents say.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very intimidating giving vaccines to doctors and nurses,\u201d Hurd says,\u202f\u201cbut it was really cool to see the people who have been working the front lines during this whole pandemic.\u201d\u202f<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would go in\u202fto give the vaccinations, \u202fthen come home and work on homework, but I definitely think it was worth \u202fit \u202fto work around my schedule, to be able to have that experience,\u201d says Briley Hurd, a level-two \u202fnursing student \u202fwho \u202fvolunteered at CHI Memorial in January.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\t\n\t\tPraise for the students<\/span>\n\t<\/span>\n<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Janelle Reilly, CEO at CHI Memorial \u202fHealth System, calls the UTC nursing students \u201cGod\u2019s warriors.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWords cannot express our gratitude to your nursing students for assisting with our health care worker vaccination clinics,\u201d she says.\u202f\u201cBless each one of you. It is amazing how much relief and hope these small shots provide.\u202fThe moment was not only historic but also sacred as a critical step in saving the lives of so many,\u201d \u202fReilly adds.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nursing senior Emily Hohenbrink was already working at CHI Memorial \u202fin its COVID-19 ward \u202fwhen she volunteered in February to give the vaccine. She had previously been \u202fvaccinated.\u202f\u201cIt’s been very nice to know that I can have an impact on people and help people,\u201d\u202fsays Hohenbrink, who will graduate in May.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n