Increasing the Percentage of Vaccinations Amongst Residents and Employees in Nursing Homes Through a Nurse-Driven Protocol

Vaccines have been identified as one of the most effective primary preventions in health promotion that protects us from infections and diseases. The vaccines that have been developed today have been through extensive testing and evaluation for safety and effectiveness. Often it is found to be more cost effective to be vaccinated then to treat the infection or disease. Immunocompromised and elderly residents have been found to be more at risk for complication of illnesses if contracted so it is very beneficial to be vaccinated. This project focused on the improvement of being vaccinated against COVID-19, Influenza, Pneumonia, and Shingles amongst residents and employees in a southeastern long-term care facility (LTCF) through a nurse-driven protocol. Employees were only observed for COVID-19 and Influenza vaccination. These were determined to be the most crucial to have an impact on this LTCF. Research has identified through the years that nurse-driven protocols were the most effective at increasing vaccination rates in the healthcare setting. Nurses were educated based on Evidence -Based Practices (EBP), which was then given to residents and employees to educate them on the benefits of vaccinations. The Electronic Medical Record was adapted to utilize the nurse -driven protocol that helped promote the improvement of vaccination. After initiation of the program, it was founded that the nurse-driven protocol did help improve the vaccination percentage of COVID-19, Influenza, and Pneumonia vaccines. Shingles vaccination percentages were unable to be increased due to limited availability to get the vaccine due to insurance and cost factors of the LTCF. The goal of increasing the vaccination percentage to 70 % for residents was successful for COVID-19 vaccinations. It was also successful for increasing the vaccination percentages of COVID-19 for employees to greater than 80%