VIRTUAL POSTER Bridging the Gap: Faculty-Student Perspectives on Vaccination and Implications for Nursing Education

Authors:
Abigail Brunsvold, DNP, APRN, CPNP - AC/PC
Mary Larson, PhD, MPH, RD, CHES
Kaitlin Schmidt, PhD, MPH, RN
Megan Orr, PhD
Curriculum/Essentials Consultant: Shannon Harriger, DNP, MSN, RN-OB

Title: Bridging the Gap: Faculty-Student Perspectives on Vaccination and Implications for Nursing Education

Introduction: Vaccination remains one of the most effective public health interventions, yet hesitancy persists, even among healthcare professionals. Nursing faculty play a vital role in shaping the beliefs, communication skills, and ethical standards of future nurses. Understanding differences in vaccine-related attitudes between faculty and students is crucial for improving education and increasing confidence in public health practices.
Problem: While national data have highlighted vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers, little is known about how attitudes differ between nursing students and faculty within academic settings. These differences may impact communication effectiveness, ethical development, and the integration of immunization content into nursing curricula.  

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to nursing students and faculty in a North Dakota. Survey items assessed vaccine acceptance and hesitancy, confidence in vaccine communication, and agreement with the ANA Code of Ethics. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics for sample analysis and inferential statistics comparing the means between student and faculty responses.
Results: Nursing faculty demonstrated significantly higher vaccine acceptance (p =<0.016) and lower hesitancy (p =<0.001 compared to students, particularly regarding COVID-19 and emerging infectious diseases. Faculty were also more likely to agree with the ANA Code of Ethics for Vaccinations (p =<0.014) and that all healthcare professionals should be vaccinated according to the current recommendations for immunizations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (p =<0.001). 

Conclusion/Implications for Practice: These findings highlight an opportunity to improve nursing curricula by aligning vaccine-related content with the AACN Essentials and emphasizing ethical role modeling, health advocacy, and effective communication strategies. Faculty development and structured interprofessional education can help close gaps, strengthen students' engagement in public health, and enhance vaccine-related dialogue across care settings. Targeted strategies to boost students’ ethical awareness and confidence in vaccine communication are crucial, not only during academic preparation but also as new graduates transition into hospital and clinic roles where they serve as frontline educators and trusted sources of vaccine information.